In pictures: Inside Raila Odinga’s mausoleum in Bondo

NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 7 – The Raila Amolo Odinga Mausoleum now stands at Kang’o ka Jaramogi in Bondo, Siaya County, beside the resting place of his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first Vice-President. The site has been transformed with landscaped grounds, paved walkways, new gates and pathways leading to the memorial.

The mausoleum was constructed by the Kenya Defence Forces, with military engineers working alongside technical teams from the National Museums of Kenya. Construction was taken over by the Ministry of Defence in July and completed in about three months, ahead of the first anniversary of Raila’s death.

The building’s distinctive pentagonal design sets it apart from the neighbouring mausoleum of Jaramogi, which has a hexagonal shape. During Wednesday’s handover ceremony, a KDF officer accompanying President William Ruto and other dignitaries explained the symbolism behind the design.

At the entrance are sculptures depicting wildlife, including buffalo, while the facility incorporates features intended to give the site the character of both a memorial and a heritage centre.

Heritage site

The mausoleum is more than a final resting place. The government has placed the site under the protection of the National Museums of Kenya, with plans for it to preserve and interpret Raila’s life, political career and contribution to Kenya’s history.

President William Ruto formally handed over the completed mausoleum to Mama Ida Odinga on Wednesday during a restricted ceremony attended by members of the Odinga family, national leaders and invited guests.

While Wednesday’s commissioning was restricted because of space and security considerations, the public is expected to begin accessing the mausoleum from Thursday, October 8. A candlelight vigil is scheduled at Kang’o ka Jaramogi on October 14, ahead of the main public commemoration in Bondo on October 15.

The memorial is expected to become a place where visitors can remember Raila and engage with the history of one of Kenya’s most influential political figures, whose career spanned decades of the country’s struggle for political and constitutional change.