All eyes on Migwena as Kenya marks first anniversary of Raila’s death
Migwena is more than a cultural gathering place. It is woven into the history of the Odinga family and has served generations of residents as a venue for wrestling competitions, ajua games, cultural festivals and community celebrations.
All eyes will today turn to Migwena Cultural Grounds in Bondo, Siaya County, as thousands of Kenyans, political leaders, religious figures and international dignitaries gather to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The event, expected to attract up to 20,000 people, comes amid heightened political activity, with the Odinga family and organisers urging leaders and their supporters to shun confrontation and refrain from turning the solemn occasion into a contest for political supremacy.
By Wednesday evening, preparations had been completed at the grounds, which hold deep historical and cultural significance for the Odinga family and the wider Sakwa community.
Rarieda Member of Parliament (MP) Otiende Amollo, vice-chairman of the National Steering Committee coordinating the anniversary, said the main facility had been designed to accommodate about 10,000 people, with additional arrangements being made to cater for the expected turnout.
“We have contracted young men to put up a facility essentially to accommodate about 10,000 people tomorrow (Thursday). They have assured us that by this evening the entire set-up will be ready,” Amollo said on Wednesday.
The programme is scheduled to begin at 6am with cultural performances and video presentations documenting Raila’s life and political journey. The family and other dignitaries are expected to arrive at 10.30am, ahead of the main Anglican Church service at 11am.
The service will last approximately 45 minutes before interdenominational prayers, intercessions and speeches by family members, political leaders, ambassadors and other international guests. Music and cultural performances will celebrate Raila’s contribution to Kenya.
Organisers, working with the national government, security agencies, the Siaya County Government and the family, have put in place measures to manage crowds, ensure security and address public health requirements.
Amollo said security assessments had been conducted and expressed appreciation for the cooperation extended by President William Ruto’s administration.
He, however, insisted that the anniversary should remain a moment of national remembrance rather than an arena for political competition.
“It is not the day of politics. It is not the day for different politicians to contest to show popularity or otherwise,” he said.
“The family emphasises that tomorrow (Thursday) is a day when everyone is invited, but not to come and do politics, but to come and remember Raila,” he added.
Amollo urged political leaders and their supporters to reject violence and political disruption, saying Raila’s legacy transcended party affiliations and individual political interests.
The family has called on those attending to wear their “national hat” rather than their partisan political hat, reflecting the gathering’s intended character as a tribute to a leader whose influence extended across Kenya and beyond.
A candlelight ceremony was held at Kang’o ka Jaramogi on Wednesday evening, beginning with a formal programme at 5pm after activities started at 4.30pm.
The event featured a brief Anglican Church homily, family speeches and a fireworks display. Organisers also encouraged people worldwide to light candles in Raila’s memory and share photographs through his legacy website.
Raila died in India on October 15, 2025, aged 80, leaving behind a decades-long political legacy associated with the struggle for multiparty democracy, constitutional reform and social justice.
A venue steeped in history
Migwena is more than a cultural gathering place. It is woven into the history of the Odinga family and has served generations of residents as a venue for wrestling competitions, ajua games, cultural festivals and community celebrations.
Akelo Gwela, chairperson of the home committee organising the anniversary, said the grounds also hold a personal significance for the family, tracing back to the beginning of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s relationship with Mary Adhiambo, Raila’s mother.
According to Gwela, Jaramogi noticed Mary, a young athlete from Alego, while she participated in sporting activities at Migwena and subsequently sent emissaries to pursue a relationship with her.
“His eye caught the young girl from Alego. Jaramogi immediately sent emissaries to the vibrant athlete, and that is how he got Raila and Oburu’s mother,” Gwela said.
Jaramogi and Mary married on January 23, 1943, at Maseno School before holding a traditional reception in Sakwa. Their first child, Dr Oburu Oginga, was born on October 15, 1943.
The grounds have hosted community activities since the early 1930s and developed into a wider cultural meeting place by the 1960s, helping bring neighbouring communities together.
Raila maintained his connection to Migwena into adulthood. At the 2024 festivals, he watched traditional wrestling and flagged off a boat race, revisiting memories of his childhood, including a fistfight in which he recalled wrestling another boy to the ground.
National Steering Committee chairman Prof Adams Oloo said the venue offered an appropriate setting for celebrating Raila’s connection with ordinary Kenyans.
“It will be a celebration worthy of the man. Musicians from across the country and beyond will take to the stage to honour him in song, because Raila Odinga loved the people, and the people loved him back,” Oloo said.
Siaya Governor James Orengo said the commemoration would also reinforce Raila’s appreciation of sports and culture as instruments of social inclusion.
“Holding this celebration here is continuing with Raila’s legacy of upholding our culture and sports which were close to his heart. Sports can serve as a powerful vehicle for social change,” Orengo said, citing their potential to advance gender equality and the empowerment of persons with disabilities.
Migwena also features in local oral history surrounding Jaramogi’s death in January 1994. Residents recall that he visited the grounds on January 1 that year and reportedly told a gathering in Dholuo, “Anbe an ana dhano” — loosely translated as, “I am also human.”
Jaramogi died 19 days later, prompting some residents to interpret the statement as an acknowledgement of his mortality.
More than three decades later, Migwena once again takes centre stage in the Odinga family’s history, this time as Kenyans gather to honour Raila’s life and legacy.
