President Ruto to preside over official commissioning of Raila mausoleum in Bondo

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 6— President William Ruto will on Wednesday preside over the official commissioning of the late Raila Odinga’s mausoleum at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi in Bondo, marking a major milestone in efforts to preserve the former Prime Minister’s legacy as part of Kenya’s national history.

Gender and Culture Cabinet Secretary Hannah Cheptumo said the ceremony comes during the month dedicated to remembering and honouring Odinga’s life, legacy and contribution to the country, as Kenya marks one year since his death.

Cheptumo said the completion of the mausoleum through the Kenya Defence Forces marks an important milestone, with the facility now transitioning into the stewardship of the Museums of Kenya.

“A mausoleum is not merely a structure. It is a repository of memory, history and identity,” Cheptumo said.

She said the transition places an important responsibility on the Museums of Kenya to ensure the site is professionally conserved, documented, interpreted and protected for future generations.

“Its transition into the stewardship of the Museums of Kenya now brings an equally important responsibility to ensure that the site is professionally conserved, documented, interpreted and protected for generations to come,” she said.

Cheptumo said the mausoleum would provide a physical space through which future generations can encounter Odinga’s story and understand the historical context in which he lived and served.

Odinga’s decades-long public life intersected with significant chapters in Kenya’s democratic development and constitutional transformation, while his engagement with Pan-African ideals also formed part of his political legacy.

“The legacy of the late Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga is inseparable from important chapters in Kenya’s history,” Cheptumo said.

She commended President Ruto for his leadership in bringing the national undertaking to completion

​Bruhan Makong is a Senior News Reporter for Capital FM in Nairobi, covering diplomacy, foreign policy, national security, climate, and human rights across East Africa and the wider region.