Inside Raila Odinga's mausoleum: A memorial built around legacy
National
By
Rodgers Otiso
| Oct 08, 2026
President William Ruto yesterday unveiled the mausoleum of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga and handed it over to the family at Kango Ka Jaramogi.
The mausoleum tells Raila's story through architecture, photographs, artworks and words inscribed on its walls, offering visitors a glimpse into the political journey of a man whose public life spanned several decades.
The mausoleum stands next to that of Raila’s father, Kenya’s first Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, bringing the resting places of the father and son together in a compound that is also being transformed into a site of national heritage and political history.
Ruto, who was accompanied by Raila’s widow Mama Ida Odinga, family members, clergy and other dignitaries, led the dedication ceremony before a memorial service at the site.
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During the ceremony, the President read a presidential citation honouring Raila’s contribution to Kenya’s political and democratic history, describing him as a courageous leader, patriot and Pan-Africanist who dedicated his life to the pursuit of freedom, justice and democracy.
The unveiling comes as the family prepares for Raila’s first death anniversary on October 15, with the mausoleum now serving as a permanent memorial where aspects of his life and political journey have been deliberately incorporated into the design.
From the outside, the mausoleum is characterised by a muted grey exterior and four prominent pillars positioned around the main structure. Stairways finished in a similar shade lead towards the wooden entrance door, giving the building a stately appearance.
The roof carries a striking red finish, creating a sharp contrast against the grey exterior walls. Metal railings have also been incorporated along the stairways and sides of the structure, providing support for visitors as they move through the facility.
On one side of the mausoleum stands an array of flagpoles, with 45 poles installed at the site. Three flags, including the Kenyan national flag, were raised during the unveiling.
But it is at the entrance and inside the mausoleum that the symbolism surrounding Raila’s political life becomes more visible.
The entrance carries a buffalo artwork associated with the name “Jowi”, a Luo word for buffalo that became closely associated with Raila during his lifetime.
Inside the mausoleum, the word Jowi is displayed on the wall, providing visitors with an immediate connection to one of the symbols used during Raila’s political engagements.
Jowi, which means buffalo in Luo tradition, symbolises strength, courage, fearlessness and powerful leadership. During his political career, Raila was associated with the Jowi chant, which was frequently used to rally crowds.
Officials explaining the memorial said the buffalo imagery was not intended to represent violence, but rather reflected how Raila used the symbol to call people to action and inspire them around issues including justice and democracy.
The interior presents a markedly different impression from the exterior, combining polished architectural finishes with features designed to preserve and present Raila’s legacy.
The floors are predominantly covered in bright, glossy white tiles, giving the interior a clean and expansive appearance. Around the burial area, however, darker black tiles have been used, creating a distinct visual separation around the resting place.
The grave itself is surrounded by carefully finished stonework, adding a different texture to the otherwise highly polished interior.
At the grave is an inscription that captures one of the themes that ran through Raila’s political life.“Democracy is the price of freedom, aluta continua,” reads the inscription.
The words provide a final message within the resting place, linking the memorial to the political struggles and campaigns for democratic change with which Raila was associated for much of his public career.
One section of the facility has been dedicated to photographs from Raila’s earlier years, with historical images framed and arranged together as part of a visual record of his life and public career.
The photographs take visitors through different stages of his life, beginning with his younger years before moving into the political chapters that would define his public identity.
Among the photographs is an image of Raila from his time as a student in Germany.
Raila left Kenya for East Germany in the 1960s, where he studied at the Herder Institute in Leipzig before pursuing mechanical engineering studies in Magdeburg. He graduated in 1970.
The photographic display then moves into the more turbulent chapters of his political life, including his detention following the failed 1982 coup attempt and his involvement in the struggle for multiparty democracy.
Raila spent years in detention without trial during the one-party era, experiences that later became an important part of the political history associated with his name.
The photographs therefore serve as more than decoration. Together, they provide a visual chronology of Raila’s life, from his education and early years to his emergence as a major figure in Kenya’s political landscape.
Another striking feature inside the mausoleum is an artistic representation of Raila raising his clenched fist.
The raised fist became one of the most recognisable gestures associated with Raila during his political career. From his days as a young leader fighting against the Daniel arap Moi regime, the gesture became associated with resistance to oppressive authority and governance.
It was frequently used during mass protests, civil disobedience campaigns and major opposition rallies, signalling continued resistance to what Raila and his supporters regarded as electoral and political injustices.
At the mausoleum, however, the raised fist has been given another interpretation, one that extends beyond the artwork into the geometry of the building itself.
A Kenya Defence Forces officer who took President William Ruto and other dignitaries around the Raila Odinga Mausoleum during the handover ceremony explained why the memorial was designed in the shape of a pentagon while Jaramogi’s neighbouring mausoleum is hexagonal.
According to him, the pentagonal design was inspired by the symbolism of Raila’s raised fist, which he said represented authority, power and unity.
“In as much as he was raising that particular fist, he wasn’t raising that fist in defiance, but he was raising that fist to call people to unity. It is five, which represents a pentagon, and it’s actually what informed the design of this mausoleum,” he explained.
He noted that Jaramogi’s mausoleum is hexagonal in shape, while Raila’s is pentagonal, with the two designs deliberately incorporating geometric elements to create architectural harmony between the structures.
“The Jaramogi Mausoleum is actually hexagonal in shape. The Raila Mausoleum is pentagonal in shape. And for that architectural harmony, we tried to play around with the geometry of Jaramogi Mausoleum, which is hexagonal, and we came up with the Raila Mausoleum, which is pentagonal,” he said.
He added that the connection between the two mausoleums was part of the broader architectural concept aimed at creating harmony between the resting places of the father and son.
The pentagon also has a connection to Raila’s political history. In the run-up to the 2007 presidential race, the term “Pentagon” was used to describe ODM’s top leadership, comprising five politicians who were eyeing the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the nominations at Kasarani Stadium.
Raila eventually emerged as the ODM presidential flag bearer, with the other politicians backing his candidacy and campaigning alongside him in the 2007 General Election.
The five-sided design therefore adds another layer of political meaning to the memorial, connecting the architecture to one of the defining moments of Raila’s political career.
Another message displayed inside the mausoleum comes from an address Raila made during the 2020 Madaraka Day celebrations, where he spoke about the values he believed were necessary for Kenya’s future.
“Let us reflect on patriotism, sacrifice, personal responsibility, dignity of our people and respect for our nation. These ideals are going to be critical in the gigantic task of reconstructing and rebuilding our nation.”
The words appear alongside a collection of photographs of Raila, giving visitors both a visual and written account of his life.
The inscription reflects themes that repeatedly featured in Raila’s public speeches: patriotism, sacrifice, responsibility, dignity and respect for the nation, while also offering a message to those who will visit the memorial in years to come.
For visitors walking through the facility, Raila’s story is not presented through a single monument or photograph. Instead, it is spread across the walls, artworks, inscriptions, geometric forms and the arrangement of the two mausoleums.
The President said the facility marks the first phase of a wider development that will include the Raila Memorial Library Museum and Research Centre, where young Kenyans and visitors from across Africa will learn about his life and legacy.
The site will also form part of the Western Tourism Circuit, creating jobs and incomes for the people of Siaya and the wider region.
President Ruto described the late Raila as a once-in-a-generation leader whose courage, sacrifice and public service became woven into the fabric of the Republic.
He noted that Raila was a leader of uncommon courage, a patriot, pan-Africanist and statesman who dedicated his life to freedom, justice and a more prosperous Kenya.
"Jakom’s lifelong cause can be captured in two words: Equitable transformation. He believed no person and no region should be left behind. Not because of where they live. Not because of their tribe. Not because of how they voted,” he said.
The President celebrated Raila as a champion of democracy, saying the democratic space the country enjoys today is part of his enduring legacy.
“Raila was a fighter. He pushed hard. He pushed hard to extend the boundaries of our democracy,” he said.
Kenya is preparing to mark one year since Raila’s death on October 15, and the mausoleum was officially unveiled.
Invited guests attended the October 7 ceremony because of the limited space at the compound, while the wider public is expected to participate in the anniversary commemorations.
On October 14, the Raila family will hold a candle-lighting ceremony at Kang’o ka Jaramogi as part of the remembrance programme.
The main public commemoration will be held on October 15 at Migwena Cultural and Sports Ground in Bondo, where Kenyans will gather to mark the first anniversary of Raila’s death.