The family of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has announced a separate candle-lighting ceremony to mark the month-long remembrance of the opposition leader who died last year. The ceremony, led by Raila's widow, Ida Odinga, will take place at Kang'o ka Jaramogi in Bondo, where Raila was buried next to his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. This move is part of the Raila Amolo Odinga Memorial National Steering Committee's programme to give Kenyans an opportunity to remember Raila outside ODM party structures.
The committee, chaired by Prof Adams Oloo, has invited everyone and all institutions across the world to join the official candle lighting session at 6pm East Africa time. The event aims to bring people together in remembering Raila, with the committee encouraging participants to light candles in their homes, places of worship, or wherever they may be. This way, one light can shine in a million places at once, symbolizing unity and solidarity in the remembrance of Raila.
The family-led initiative is not in conflict with the planned candle lighting vigil organised by the ODM Party across the country on Friday. The ODM Party, which Raila founded and led for two decades, has designated October as "Mwezi wa Baba" and lined up a series of activities to honour his memory. These activities include a nationwide candle-lighting exercise, a major memorial rally in Kakamega on October 9, and other events in different regions in the weeks that follow.
The ODM Party's programme will begin with a nationwide candle-lighting exercise on Friday, followed by a major memorial rally in Kakamega on October 9. The party has planned several other activities in different regions, including events in Garissa, the Coast region, Kajiado, and Turkana. The party's efforts aim to bring together supporters and Kenyans to remember Raila and celebrate his legacy.
The Raila Amolo Odinga Memorial National Steering Committee has warned against raising funds during the month-long celebrations of Raila's first anniversary. The committee has cautioned that no funds should be raised in the name of the family or the National Steering Committee, emphasizing that the focus should be on remembering Raila and not on personal gain.
The two initiatives, one led by the family and the other by ODM, highlight the separate roles being played by the family and the party in organising activities to mark one year since Raila's death. Raila died on October 15, 2025, while receiving treatment in India, at the age of 80. The family also indicated that many Kenyans did not get an opportunity to mourn Raila or bid him farewell in the manner they would have wished following his death.
The Steering committee, led by Prof Adams Oloo, has been coordinating a programme intended to give Kenyans an opportunity to remember Raila outside the formal political structures of ODM. The committee's efforts aim to ensure that Kenyans can pay tribute to Raila in a way that is meaningful to them, while also respecting the party's efforts to honour his memory.
Key points
- The Raila family has announced a separate candle-lighting ceremony to mark the month-long remembrance of Raila Odinga.
- The ODM Party has planned a series of activities, including a nationwide candle-lighting exercise and a major memorial rally in Kakamega.
- The Raila Amolo Odinga Memorial National Steering Committee has warned against raising funds during the month-long celebrations.
