Friday October 17, 2025
Nairobi (HOL) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
attended the State Funeral Service of the late former Kenyan Prime Minister
Raila Amolo Odinga in Nairobi on Friday.
President Mohamud joined other heads of state, regional
leaders, and dignitaries from across the world to pay final respects to Odinga,
a towering figure who profoundly shaped Kenyan and African politics from 1945
to 2025.
Somalia had earlier extended condolences following Odinga’s
passing on October 15, with President Mohamud describing him as a “towering
statesman whose legacy of democracy, justice, and public service will endure.”
Friday’s service in Nairobi was part of a series of national
events honouring the late leader, who was accorded a state funeral.
Raila Odinga, 80, passed away in India on Wednesday. His
body was repatriated to Kenya on Thursday to a tumultuous and emotional
reception, as thousands of mourners thronged Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport (JKIA), with some storming the runway and boarding the Kenya Airways
aircraft carrying his remains.
A planned public viewing at Parliament Buildings was later
disrupted after massive crowds overwhelmed security arrangements in the
capital.