Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga has clarified the burial arrangements for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, putting to rest conflicting reports about the location.
He confirmed that Raila will be laid to rest at the family plot in Nyamira Kango, alongside both his mother and father, contrary to reports suggesting he would be buried only next to his mother.
“Sunday will be a day to give the final send off. And I would like to clarify something which has been in the press, this matter of where the grave of Raila, or where he will be interred. The particular spot the press has been saying that in Raila’s Will, he said he wanted to be buried next to his mother, and that we have verified it, and now we are burying him next to his father. Nothing could be far from the truth,” Oburu said during a pressd briefing at Karen on Friday
The Senator explained that the late leader’s will clearly indicates he wished to be buried at the family site where both parents rest.
“In the place where his father and mother are buried. So father and mother are buried at Nyamira Kango, and that is where Raila is going to be buried. Whether the grave is next to the mother or next to the father, that is now a detail which he did not specify. Both of them are his parents, and that was our decision,” he added.
The senator also appealed to mourners to maintain peace and dignity during the funeral ceremonies.
“I know the pains you feel. You feel as much as all of us do, but this is not a time to make anything which could cause harm and infirmity to our people. We want to behave with dignity. Let us respect this occasion because Raila loved them so much, and they should also treat his send off with a lot of restraint. Let us not overdo our mourning. Let us mourn in peace. Let us escort our brother in peace and let his soul also lie in peace,” Oburu said.
Oburu expressed gratitude to the National Funeral Committee and government officials for their commitment to ensuring a smooth and respectful farewell.
He praised both the Deputy President and President William Ruto for their personal involvement in honoring Raila.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues. They have worked tirelessly since the committee was formed, and they have done a great job. I also want to thank the Deputy President for his very tireless work on this and very, very diligent approach to all the issues. And I also want to thank His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Kenya, for taking this matter personally, and he has done all that could have been done by any other Head of State to give my late brother the honors that he deserved as a statesman of this country,” he said.