Jaramogi's eldest son decides Fidel Odinga’s burial site

SIAYA COUNTY: Plans for the burial of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s son Fidel have been finalised with the committee projecting to host 10,000 mourners.

Speaking Tuesday at Raila’s home Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda said the national government will be ‘properly’ represented.

Mr Ochanda said the government has been supportive and has sent a liaison person to work with the family at the national co-ordinating committee, which will confirm the attendance later in the week.

The committee, which has representatives from all constituencies in Siaya County, will plan on catering, mobility and communication.

Tuesday, the team identified the burial point situated in the Jaramogi family graveyard at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s Kang’o Ka-Jaramogi home.

George Ominde, the eldest of Jaramogi’s sons, who symbolically pointed to the exact burial point said Fidel’s burial site in the family’s graveyard was reached after considering various Luo traditions.

Even though Fidel had built his own home on his father’s Opoda farm located over 10km from Jaramogi’s home, Ominde said he had not traditionally moved to the home making it impossible to bury him there.

“Fidel had not moved to his new home hence burying his remains there would mean we have thrown him out. That is why we have decided to bury him in the extended family graveyard,” said Ominde.

The venue for the final service has also been moved to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology grounds from the Kang’o ka-Jaramogi grounds where it had earlier been announced after it emerged that the space may not be big enough.

According to the home funeral committee, 10,000 seats have been prepared for the mourners at the university grounds with mourners from in and out of the country expected.

The home burial committee chairman Ouma Onyango said the rushing of the burial was proposed by Raila.

“Raila had proposed that we do not need to stay long with the body, and the same message is currently being passed among the Luo community to avoid holding bodies for long.

Once someone has died we need to sober up and conduct a quick and decent sendoff to allow healing,” said Onyango who is also the Siaya deputy governor.

Onyango said the body will arrive at Opoda farm on Friday evening for viewing. On Saturday morning, the body will be transferred to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University Grounds for the final service to be conducted by the Anglican Church of Kenya before it is moved to its final resting place.

“All members of the Jaramogi family have many friends and relatives and we are prepared to take care of all of them,” said Onyango.