Ruth Odinga recalls blasting Raila after he proposed building a museum at home
Ruth Odinga, the youngest member of the Odinga family and current Kisumu Woman Representative, has shared vivid recollections of her reaction when her brother, late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, announced plans to turn their family home into a museum.
Speaking to a local TV station on Saturday, October 18, 2025, Ruth said she was the first to protest the idea, expressing her concern as the youngest child of the family.
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“My brother Raila was a genius, and I remember many things. There was a time he said that he was making our home a museum. I was the first one to protest. I told him. Where am I supposed to go?”
She recalled questioning where she would go if their home became a national museum, highlighting her personal connection to the family estate.
She noted that being the lastborn of the Odinga family made the prospect of losing access to the home particularly unsettling.
“I told him I am the last born of the Odinga family, and I don’t know where to go if he makes our home a national museum of Kenya,” Ruth added.
Despite her initial objections, Ruth said she acknowledged the significance of the museum over time.
She observed that schools continued to visit the home, recognising its historical and educational value.
She described the site as a place rich in heritage, now made even more monumental by the fact that Raila Odinga is being laid to rest there.
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Ruth also said the museum and the home symbolise the enduring legacy of the Odinga family, ensuring that their contributions to Kenya’s history and politics will be remembered for generations.
“But afterwards, schools still go there. There is a lot of heritage, and now it is even more monumental, now that Raila is also being buried there. That means our legacy as the Odinga family will live forever,” Ruth added.
The Odinga family homestead, Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, serves as a mausoleum and burial site for key members of the family, including the late family patriarch, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and other relatives.
Raila’s demise
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the second son of Jaramogi and Mary Ajuma Odinga, passed away on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, in Kerala, India, at the age of 80 following a cardiac arrest.
His final resting place will be at the family homestead in Bondo, beside his mother’s grave, in accordance with his wishes.
Raila’s body was repatriated to Kenya on Thursday, October 16, and received at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where overwhelming crowds forced security teams to revise the official reception plans.
Public viewings initially planned at Parliament Buildings were relocated to Kasarani Stadium to accommodate thousands of mourners who flocked to pay their respects.
His casket, draped in the national flag, was escorted under tight security, reflecting the immense public admiration that defined his political journey.
The state funeral at Nyayo Stadium on Friday, October 17, drew heads of state, ODM leaders, and senior government officials, including President William Ruto and former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was one of unity and reverence as Kenyans from all walks of life gathered to honour a man whose name had become synonymous with the struggle for democracy, equity, and justice.
As of October 18, Raila’s body has been ferried to Kisumu, where it is being viewed ahead of his burial tomorrow, Sunday, October 19.
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Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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