Ruto commissions Raila Odinga mausoleum at Bondo in Kenya's Siaya County

President William Ruto commissioned and dedicated the Raila Amolo Odinga Mausoleum at Kang'o ka Jaramogi in Bondo, Siaya County, on 7 October 2026, The Standard reported. Ida Odinga, members of the Odinga family, church leaders and guests attended.

The ceremony took place eight days before the first anniversary of the death of Raila Odinga, who died on 15 October 2025 while receiving medical treatment in India, The Standard said. He was Kenya's second Prime Minister. The ceremony ended with the planting of a commemorative tree at the site.

Fica News reported on 5 October that the mausoleum was to be handed to the State on 7 October: Raila Odinga mausoleum in Bondo to be handed to State on 7 October. Citizen Digital and Capital FM reported on 3 October that the handover and State dedication would be an invitation-only event with full military honours.

Capital FM reported on 3 October that the public had been advised not to attend in person because of space constraints and security protocols. The State was to broadcast the event live on national television and set up public viewing screens at Nyamira School, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology and in Bondo Town, the outlet said.

Ruto said of Odinga: "Through years of darkness, detention, sacrifice and adversity, he did not yield," The Standard reported. He called him "a once-in-a-generation leader whose vision transcended politics and whose life became woven into the fabric of our Republic".

The President also declared that "the Right Honourable Raila Amolo Odinga, the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya, passes from the living memory of a generation into another enduring memory of the Republic", according to The Standard.

The mausoleum was built by the Kenya Defence Forces, The Star reported on 6 October. Responsibility for the site is to pass to the National Museums of Kenya for conservation, documentation and protection, the paper said.

Citizen Digital reported on 3 October that the Ministry of Defence took charge of construction in July, and that military engineers and museum technical teams completed most of the work in about three months. On 20 July, Citizen Digital reported that the Odinga family had formally handed over the construction site for the KSh 30 million project. Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya described the project as a symbol of national unity, the outlet said.

The National Museums of Kenya has listed the complex, the resting place of Kenya's first Vice-President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and his son Raila, for protection as part of the country's national heritage, Capital FM reported on 3 October.

Public access to the mausoleum is due to open on Thursday 8 October, Citizen Digital and Capital FM reported on 3 October. A family-led candlelight vigil is set for 6pm on 14 October at Kang'o ka Jaramogi. The main public memorial service is set for 15 October at Migwena Cultural and Sports Ground in Bondo, open to all mourners, the two outlets said.