Justina Syokau shaves bald in honour of Raila Odinga
Gospel singer Justina Syokau has shaved her head bald in honour of the late ODM leader Raila Odinga, who passed away on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, in Kerala, India, after suffering a cardiac arrest.
In a video shared on her TikTok page on Saturday, October 25, 2025, Justina is seen arriving at a barbershop and asking the barber to cut off all her hair, which had been neatly blow-dried.
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She then records the entire process as the barber begins trimming, before revealing her completely bald head, which she proudly shows off as a mark of respect to the late statesman.
Justina, who is no stranger to controversy, accompanied the video with a deep and emotional voice-over of herself singing and lamenting how Raila’s death had left her deeply heartbroken.
She expressed that she was shattered by the passing of the veteran politician, while at the same time interceding for his soul to find eternal peace and for comfort to be granted to those mourning him.
“Raila, rest in peace. Baba, we are still crying, rest in peace. We love you, rest in peace. We are in sorrow, rest in peace. We are still crying so much, rest in peace. We cry because you left us, yet you showed us love and fought for democracy. We do not know where we shall find another leader like you. We love you, Raila, but God loved you more. Safe journey, Baba. We honour you, we love you so much. May God rest your soul in eternal peace. Rest in peace, Baba Raila Odinga. Safe journey, Raila Odinga. We shall meet again,” she said.
Justina Syokau has become the second public figure, after comedian Oga Obinna, to shave her head bald in tribute to the late Raila Amolo Odinga.
Obinna had earlier set the tone for the emotional tribute when he shaved his head on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, describing the act as a heartfelt way to honour both Raila’s enduring legacy and the Luo cultural traditions of mourning.
In a video shared on his Instagram page, the comedian explained that in Luo culture, shaving one’s head has long been regarded as a sacred expression of grief and solidarity with the bereaved family, though the practice has gradually faded with time.
“In the Luo culture, normally, to mourn and to symbolise grieving, we used to shave our heads. Nowadays, very few people do it. But for myself and Baba, I chose to shave my head as a symbol of mourning,” Obinna said.
He shared that his decision was deeply personal, rooted in the immense respect and admiration he had for the late ODM leader, whom he credited with shaping Kenya’s political and social consciousness.
“This one is going to Baba, from the respect and admiration I had for him,” he added.
Obinna went further to extend the meaning of his act beyond mourning Raila, dedicating the gesture to cancer patients as a symbol of empathy and solidarity.
“It also goes out to everyone out there struggling with cancer. To all the cancer patients out there, my heart goes out to you,” he said.
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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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