Ruto Commissions Raila Odinga Mausoleum in Bondo
The memorial at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi honours the late former Prime Minister’s legacy as Kenya prepares to mark one year since his death.
Bondo, Siaya County | October 7, 2026
President William Ruto has officially commissioned and dedicated the mausoleum of former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi in Bondo, Siaya County, in a ceremony honouring the late opposition leader’s contribution to Kenya’s political and democratic history.
The ceremony on Wednesday brought together members of the Odinga family, national and county leaders, religious leaders and other invited guests, with Ruto leading the official handover of the facility. The event came eight days before the first anniversary of Raila’s death on October 15, 2025.
Ruto paid tribute to Raila during the ceremony, describing him as a patriot, Pan-Africanist and statesman whose political career played a significant role in Kenya’s democratic journey. A presidential citation read during the ceremony highlighted his contribution to the country’s political development.
The mausoleum was constructed by the Kenya Defence Forces after the Ministry of Defence took charge of the project in July. Military engineers, working alongside technical teams from the National Museums of Kenya, completed most of the work within about three months.
The memorial stands alongside the existing mausoleum of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first Vice President and Raila’s father. The site therefore brings together two generations of the Odinga family and is expected to serve as an important historical and heritage site.
The design of Raila’s mausoleum has also attracted attention because of its distinctive five-sided, or pentagonal, structure. During the commissioning ceremony, Ruto said the five sides symbolised unity, togetherness and completion, while also recalling the ODM Pentagon associated with Raila’s political movement in 2007.
The government has indicated that the site will serve a purpose beyond being Raila’s final resting place. Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage Hannah Cheptumo described the mausoleum as a repository of memory, history and identity through which future generations can learn about Raila and the period in which he lived and served.
Ruto also announced plans for a library and museum at the site to further preserve Raila’s contribution to Kenya’s political history and provide a place where future generations can learn about his life and public service.
The National Museums of Kenya is expected to take stewardship of the site and oversee its preservation as part of the country’s heritage. The complex has already been listed for protection as a national heritage site.
Members of the public are expected to gain access to the mausoleum from Thursday, October 8, following the restricted commissioning ceremony.
The commissioning comes as Kenya enters a period of activities commemorating Raila’s life and political legacy. The period has been designated “Mwezi wa Baba”, with various events planned to remember the former Prime Minister and his decades-long involvement in the country’s political affairs.
For the Odinga family and Raila’s supporters, the completion of the mausoleum marks another step in preserving the memory of a politician whose career spanned decades of Kenya’s political history. The planned museum and library are also expected to expand the site’s role from a memorial into a centre for preserving and documenting that history.