Willis Otieno: Raila Odinga’s final wish reflected his lifelong love for Kenya
Lawyer and politician Willis Otieno has said that Raila Odinga’s final wish to be buried within 72 hours of his death was a powerful act of patriotism and selflessness.
In a statement shared on his X account on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, Otieno said that Raila’s love for Kenya did not end with his life but lived on in his last instructions.
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He explained that by asking to be buried quickly, Raila chose peace over politics and unity over spectacle.
“What many fail to see is that Raila Odinga’s love for his country did not end with his breath. It lived in his final instructions: a wish to be buried within 72 hours. Even in death, he chose simplicity over spectacle, peace over politics. He understood the weight of his name, the emotions it stirs, and the divisions it could awaken. So, in one final act of selflessness, he shielded the nation from itself,” Otineo stated.
Otieno said that Raila understood the weight his name carried and the emotions it could stir.
To prevent his death from becoming a source of division, he deliberately ensured that his burial would be a quiet and swift affair.
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He described the former Prime Minister as a man who gave his life to his people and, in the end, gave them peace by refusing to let his death become another battlefield.
“That was Baba, a man who gave his life to his people, and in the end, gave them peace by refusing to let his death become another battlefield. True patriotism is not in how long one lives, but in how deeply one loves a country even in silence, even in departure,” Otieno added.
Raila Odinga, who died in India while receiving treatment, was buried at his rural home in Bondo, Siaya County, next to his father, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
The burial took place within three days, in line with his wishes.
The ceremony was conducted with full state honours, including a 17-gun salute, and attended by thousands of mourners.
A seven-day national mourning period had been declared in his honour by President William Ruto.
Odinga’s wish for a 72-hour burial surprised many, especially within the Luo community, where traditional funeral customs often span several days.
However, his family and close allies said it was his conscious decision to promote simplicity, peace, and closure for the nation.
