Oburu wants Raila mausoleum redesigned to match JFK Museum standards
"I don't see the modernity that I was expecting from it," Oburu said after the project's architectural design was unveiled.
Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga has challenged the proposed design of the Raila Amolo Odinga Mausoleum, saying it falls short of the modern standards he had envisioned and urging architects to draw inspiration from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in the United States.
Speaking yesterday during the handover and groundbreaking ceremony for the Raila Amolo Odinga Mausoleum at Kang’o ka Jaramogi in Bondo, Siaya County, Oburu said the memorial should be more than a burial site and instead serve as a world-class centre documenting the late former Prime Minister’s political journey and Kenya’s democratic history.
“I don’t see the modernity that I was expecting from it,” Oburu said after the project’s architectural design was unveiled.
He said he had initially favoured a simple mausoleum but later embraced the idea of a modern memorial after learning that contemporary heritage sites incorporate advanced technology to preserve history.
He cited the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston as the model Kenya should emulate.
According to Oburu, the facility should feature digital installations, audio-visual presentations and interactive exhibitions allowing visitors to explore Raila Odinga’s speeches, political philosophy and contributions to governance, democracy, culture and national development.
Responding to the concerns, lead architect Samson Malaki explained that the design presented represents only the first phase of a much larger heritage project.
He said the mausoleum is intended primarily as a solemn memorial where visitors can pay their respects, while a second phase will include a fully-fledged Raila Odinga Centre housing a museum, digital exhibitions, historical archives and interactive displays documenting the veteran opposition leader’s life and public service.
Malaki assured stakeholders that the larger museum would incorporate the modern technological features proposed by Oburu.
He added that the mausoleum itself would feature contemporary interior finishes and sustainable construction materials, noting that detailed interior visualisations would be produced once construction begins.
Project engineers also assured stakeholders that construction would be completed within the planned timeline with support from the Ministry of Defence.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya said the government had assigned the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to manage the project because of their proven capacity to deliver major infrastructure works.
“The Ministry of Defence is undertaking project management for this mausoleum, leveraging the proven capacity, discipline and meticulous infrastructure delivery of the Kenya Defence Forces,” Tuya said.
She described the project as a national commitment aimed at preserving Raila Odinga’s legacy while documenting Kenya’s democratic journey for future generations.
According to Tuya, the first phase will include a national monument documenting Raila’s political journey, a public learning and archival centre, exhibition galleries, a landscaped reflection courtyard, visitor amenities, security installations and upgraded infrastructure.
The mausoleum will be constructed adjacent to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum, where Kenya’s first Vice President was laid to rest in 1994.
The project will also include renovation and upgrading of the existing Jaramogi memorial.
Culture, Arts and Heritage Principal Secretary Ummi Bashir said plans to improve the Jaramogi mausoleum began in 2024 after Raila Odinga expressed a desire to preserve the historic site. She said the project’s scope later expanded following Raila’s death on October 15, 2025.
Oburu announced that construction is expected to be completed within the next two months, ahead of the first anniversary of Raila Odinga’s death in October.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Cabinet Secretaries Soipan Tuya and Wycliffe Oparanya, Principal Secretaries Patrick Mariru and Ummi Bashir, Kisumu Deputy Governor Matthew Owili, officials from the National Museums of Kenya and members of the Odinga family, including Raila Odinga Junior and Isaac Odinga.
