Raila Odinga’s long-time spokesperson, Dennis Onyango, has finally shed light on the late politician’s decision to be buried within 72 hours after his death. Raila Odinga’s spokesperson Dennis Onyango explained why he wanted to be buried within 72 hours.
Raila passed away on October 15 last year while in India, where he had travelled for specialised medical treatment. Doctors confirmed that he died from a massive cardiac arrest. Despite nearly two hours of CPR and emergency intubation, he could not be revived.
Speaking during a Sunday Live segment on Citizen TV, Onyango explained that Raila had privately shared his burial wishes with him months before his death.
He said the conversation came up after the death of former Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla, who had also indicated in his will that he should be buried within 72 hours.
Onyango recalled that after Ogolla’s death, Raila expressed that he would also prefer a similar burial timeline. “He told me he wanted to be buried within three days, but I dismissed it. I didn’t know it was something he had written down. When General Ogolla died, I was in Migori, and Raila wanted to go to Ogolla’s home. He told me the general had written that he should be buried within 72 hours, and then he said that is what he would also want,” Onyango said. However, Onyango noted that he initially thought Raila was joking and discouraged the idea, saying it would be difficult for such a decision to be accepted, given his national stature. “I told him nobody would accept that, so he should forget about it. I didn’t know it was in his will,” he added.
Following Raila’s death, his body was repatriated to Kenya the following morning through coordination between the Kenyan and Indian governments. Public viewing was held at Kasarani Stadium, where thousands of mourners paid their respects before the state funeral at Nyayo Stadium on Friday. His body was later taken to Kisumu for another public viewing on Saturday before he was laid to rest at the Kang’o Ka Jaramogi Mausoleum in Bondo on Sunday
