Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has revisited one of the most painful moments in his political life, recalling the emotional journey to India to bring home the body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, as questions over the future of the veteran opposition leader’s political movement continue to shape Kenya’s politics.
In a poignant reflection marking one year since Raila’s death, Sifuna revealed that he has preserved the boarding passes from the Kenya Airways flights that took him to Mumbai and back in October 2025.
The senator said he still struggles to distinguish between the pain of learning that Raila had died and the emotional burden of travelling to India to facilitate the return of the man who had become a defining figure in his political career.
“I couldn’t tell you what the toughest part of the day was, receiving the news in the morning or taking that flight to Mumbai,” Sifuna recalled.
His account offers a personal glimpse into the events surrounding Raila’s final journey home, but it also comes at a politically sensitive moment for the ODM party, which is confronting questions about leadership, unity and the direction it should take without the man who dominated its politics for years.
A journey that remains etched in Sifuna’s memory
Raila died in India on October 15, 2025, aged 80, while receiving medical treatment. His death triggered an outpouring of grief across Kenya and prompted urgent arrangements to bring his body home for a state farewell.
Sifuna travelled to India on October 15 and returned to Kenya the following day aboard Kenya Airways flights KQ202 and KQ203.
The journey, he recalled, involved extraordinary logistical arrangements and cooperation between Kenyan and Indian authorities, the national carrier and the delegation tasked with bringing Raila home.
He expressed gratitude to the Indian government and the Indian High Commission in Nairobi for facilitating the arrangements, acknowledging that the mission required assistance under difficult circumstances.
The senator also praised Kenya Airways management, particularly Captain Saviemaria Ondego and his crew, for their role in the operation.
He recalled that passengers had to contend with delays and seat changes as arrangements were made to accommodate the delegation. Some, he said, only understood the circumstances after the captain explained the situation during the flight.
Sifuna apologised to the affected travellers, acknowledging the inconvenience they experienced during a journey shaped by the urgency of returning one of the country’s most prominent political figures.
The return flight produced a particularly emotional moment when the aircraft entered Kenyan airspace and its call sign was changed to RAO001, in honour of Raila Odinga.
For Sifuna, the gesture brought the significance of the homecoming into sharp focus.
He also thanked the Kenya Defence Forces for the military honours accorded to Raila, whose return was coordinated by a delegation led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi following President William Ruto’s announcement that the government would facilitate the repatriation.
Beyond grief, the question of Raila’s political inheritance
While Sifuna’s latest reflection centres on personal loss, the anniversary of Raila’s death has reopened a larger national conversation about the future of his political movement.
For decades, Raila was a central figure in Kenya’s multiparty struggle, constitutional reform campaigns and opposition politics. His influence extended beyond ODM, shaping political alliances and national debates over governance, electoral justice and the distribution of power.
His death created a leadership vacuum within a party whose identity and electoral appeal had been closely associated with his personality, political instincts and ability to negotiate alliances across ideological and regional divides.
Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga subsequently took over as ODM party leader, as competing views emerged over how the party should engage President William Ruto’s administration and prepare for the 2027 General Election.
The disagreements have exposed the difficulty of separating Raila’s political legacy from the immediate calculations facing a party seeking to retain its influence in government and opposition politics.
At the heart of the debate is whether ODM should continue engaging the broad-based arrangement with Ruto’s administration or reclaim a more confrontational opposition role.
The debate has implications beyond party headquarters. ODM’s position will influence political alignments in Nyanza, its bargaining power nationally and the choices available to supporters who viewed Raila as the movement’s principal political compass.
Sifuna’s position in a changing ODM
Sifuna’s recollection is particularly significant because of his own place in ODM’s evolving leadership struggles.
He served as the party’s secretary-general for nine years, becoming one of its most recognisable national voices and a prominent communicator of Raila’s political message.
However, Raila’s death was followed by mounting disagreements over the party’s leadership and political direction. In February 2026, ODM removed Sifuna from the secretary-general position, a decision he challenged through party dispute-resolution channels.
Sifuna has maintained that he tried to keep the party united and honour a commitment he made to Raila not to destroy the movement. He has also criticised decisions he believes were being made outside established party structures.
His position has placed him at the centre of the wider argument about what it means to defend Raila’s legacy: whether that legacy is best protected through cooperation with the government, a stronger opposition posture or adherence to the internal democratic processes of the party.
The senator’s latest account of the repatriation journey does not, by itself, amount to a fresh declaration in the current political contest. Nevertheless, the timing gives his reflection added significance as ODM’s leaders and supporters continue to debate the direction of the movement.
The distinction is important. Raila’s memory remains a source of shared grief, but interpretations of his political ideals increasingly intersect with disagreements over power, party organisation and electoral strategy.
The anniversary and the politics of remembrance
Kenya marked the first anniversary of Raila’s death on October 15, 2026, with commemorative activities at Migwena Cultural Grounds in Bondo, Siaya County.
The gathering brought together members of the Odinga family, political leaders and supporters to remember a man whose influence shaped several generations of Kenyan politics.
The anniversary followed a year of major developments surrounding his legacy, including the construction and commissioning of a mausoleum at his ancestral home in Bondo and continued debate about ODM’s future.
The memorial events have provided an opportunity to celebrate Raila’s contribution to democracy while highlighting the challenge of sustaining a political movement after the death of its dominant leader.
His career was defined by political setbacks, imprisonment, repeated presidential bids, mass mobilisation and eventual participation in government. He served as prime minister from 2008 to 2013 following the disputed 2007 presidential election and the subsequent power-sharing agreement.
His political journey also included the 2018 handshake with former President Uhuru Kenyatta and later cooperation with Ruto, illustrating his willingness to negotiate alliances even after years of political rivalry.
These shifts remain relevant to the present debate because Raila’s legacy cannot be reduced to a single political position. His supporters continue to draw different lessons from his history of resistance, negotiation and coalition-building.
For some, preserving his legacy means maintaining a strong opposition tradition. For others, it means using political engagement to secure development commitments and influence national decision-making.
A personal tribute with national political significance
Sifuna’s decision to retain the boarding passes from the October 2025 journey illustrates how deeply the events surrounding Raila’s death remain etched in the memories of those who accompanied him on his final journey home.
The senator also acknowledged passengers who endured disruptions, the airline crew that handled the flight and the military personnel who accorded Raila official honours.
His account reminds the country that behind the public ceremonies, official statements and political calculations were individuals grappling with the loss of a leader who had shaped their professional and personal lives.
Yet the story of Raila’s homecoming also serves as a reminder of the scale of the political transition triggered by his death.
One year later, his absence continues to shape ODM’s internal affairs, the relationship between the party and the government, and the calculations of leaders positioning themselves ahead of the next election.
The central question is no longer simply how Kenyans will remember Raila Odinga. It is how the political institutions, alliances and democratic ideals associated with him will survive beyond his lifetime.
For Sifuna, the journey to India remains an intensely personal memory. For ODM, the struggle to define Raila’s legacy has become one of the most consequential political challenges of the post-Raila era.
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