The body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga will be flown to his Bondo home later today, rather than being taken there by road as initially planned, Interior PS Raymond Omollo has announced.
While outlining the day's plans on Saturday, the PS clarified that the change was due to time constraints as the public viewing is likely to continue until late evening.
“From Mamboleo, Raila’s body will be flown to Bondo. Because by the time the viewing will end, it will be a bit late and we need to get him to Bondo before it is very late,” Omollo said.
Omollo was speaking in Bondo when he visited the home to check on the progress of preparations ahead of the arrival of the body in the evening and tomorrow's funeral.
According to Omollo, the decision was made by the National Funeral Steering Committee and family, stating that this was to ensure that Odinga receives a dignified send-off.
“The body of the former Prime Minister will be flown directly to Bondo. We want to make sure the transition from Kisumu to his home is done smoothly and respectfully,” Omollo said.
He added that the funeral ceremony on Sunday at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology will be led by President William Ruto and will be attended by leaders from across the region.
“Tomorrow, we will have the final burial ceremony that will have attendance from across the country and also from the region. His Excellency the President, President Ruto, will be leading those celebrations,” he said.
The home has been a beehive of activity as several family members have arrived including Mama Ida Odinga and Raila’s elder brother Oburu Odinga.
The family will receive the body later today after the public viewing in Kisumu concludes later today.
Mourner Collapse
The developments come amid reports that several mourners reportedly collapsed during the viewing of the body of Raila.
The emotional mourners collapsed moments after viewing Odinga's body inside the stadium, where thousands of mourners had lined up to pay their tributes to the veteran opposition leader.
Footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed several people lying on the ground, even as the paramedical team led by the Kenya Red Cross and the Kisumu County Disaster Management team rushed to provide first aid.
Raila’s mortal remains arrived in Kisumu on Saturday, October 18, at 7:20am, under heavy military guard, as he made his final sojourn in his backyard.
