END OF AN ERA !

The air was thick with emotion in Kang’o ka Jaramogi on Sunday as Kenyans bid farewell to one of the country’s most towering political figures, former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga.

Raila was laid to rest at his ancestral home in Bondo, Siaya County — beside his father, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first Vice President — in a ceremony that marked both the end of an era and the passing of a generation that shaped the nation’s democratic struggle.

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) accorded the late statesman full military honours, in accordance with a presidential directive issued by President William Ruto immediately after Raila’s passing.

Under a grey, reflective sky, Raila’s flag-draped casket rested before a solemn crowd as KDF officers stood guard. Upon 4:53 p.m., the KDF artillery unit fired 17 rounds into the air symbolising a thunderous salute to a man who, though he never became president, defined Kenya’s political conscience for over five decades.

Thereafter came a lone bugler with the Last Post, a mournful military call that signaled the consummation of a soldier’s duty. The crowd followed with melancholic weeps as they clutch flags and portraits in farewell to the departed Enigma.

Raila's gun salute was in similitude with those accorded to Kenya's past head of states. In this ritual ,a 21-gun salute is reserved for a sitting president, while a former head of state receives 19 rounds. The decision to honour Raila with 17 rounds was courtesy of his lifelong service as a statesman and reformist who chose unity and democracy over personal ambition.

After brief prayers, family , friends and leaders stepped forward to lay flowers on the grave, marking Raila’s final journey home.

The burial ceremony brought together an extraordinary assembly of leaders from across Kenya and beyond. President William Ruto, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo were among the dignitaries in attendance, alongside thousands of mourners who travelled from all corners of the country.

President Ruto, speaking during the service held earlier at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology ( JOOUST) in Bondo, delivered a deeply personal tribute to the man he once fiercely opposed.

“Many commentators in the newspapers and in the media say this is a big blow for me. Yes, it is. It is a very big blow,” Ruto said.

Raila, who passed away in India at the age of 80 following a cardiac arrest, left behind an indelible legacy. His death created a vacuum that even his elder brother, Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Oginga, who was appointed ODM’s acting party leader, admitted would be difficult to fill.

His passing sent shockwaves across the nation and the world, prompting an outpouring of grief and remembrance from leaders, friends, and ordinary Kenyans. In a gesture of honour, India accorded Raila full military respect and footed the entire repatriation cost of his remains.

Raila’s body was flown home aboard a special aircraft bearing the call sign RAO001. Upon arrival, the plane received a water salute, and dozens of his supporters went at an extent of breaking protocol to receive their revered statesman.

Born in 1945, Raila’s political consciousness sharpened under President Daniel arap Moi’s regime. He was accused of involvement in the 1982 coup attempt, leading to a nine-year detention without trial under harsh conditions — an ordeal that later affected his health.

Exonerated in 1991, his quest for transformation birthed the multi- party system, end of the 40 year KANU regime and the 2010 constitutional referendum. He also contested in five attempts for the presidency - often losing in contradicting circumstances.

In his later years, Raila patched up with all his political rivals, choosing peace over division — a gesture that cemented his legacy as a statesman of rare resolve and humility.

As Agwambo closes his eyes, Kenya turns its gaze toward the future, inspired by the man who gave his all for the nation’s progress. The 20th October Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kitui stand as one of many national efforts to honour the Shujaa of Kenya’s Constitution. Raila Amollo Odinga, termed as ' Jowi !' gone with the Hat and the Fly whisk that defined his life on Earth....