Construction of the proposed Raila Odinga Mausoleum has officially begun after the Odinga family handed over the historic Kang’o ka Jaramogi site in Siaya County to the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). The groundbreaking ceremony, attended by Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya, marked the transition from planning to construction, nearly nine months after the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Odinga, the long-serving Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, died of cardiac arrest on October 15, 2025, while receiving treatment in India. He was 80. The state-backed project, with a budget of Sh30 million, aims to develop the site into a national heritage monument. Tuya assured the family that the accelerated two-month timeline would not compromise quality.
Addressing the gathering, Tuya called for national cohesion and warned against divisive politics, commending ODM’s role in supporting the broad-based government. ‘The government will not tolerate individuals spewing hate or stoking negative ethnicity,’ she said.
Raila Odinga Junior said the mausoleum would preserve his father’s legacy for future generations. The first phase includes construction of the mausoleum and exhibition spaces for personal artefacts, with plans to integrate the adjacent Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum into a single heritage complex.
Article source: allafrica.com | Image credit: Mwakilishi.com
