Orengo lauds governors after visit to Raila Odinga’s home, grave site

Siaya Governor James Orengo has lauded governors who showed up to pay their last respects to the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at his home in Bondo, Siaya County.

Taking to his official X account on Saturday, October 25, 2025, the Siaya County boss thanked the leaders for coming together in paying their last tribute to a man he described as the father of devolution.

While expressing his gratitude, Orengo, who was Raila Odinga’s close ally, described how the late leader must be at ease with the progress of devolution in Kenya.

“Thank you to the Council of Governors for coming together to pay your last respects to our departed leader at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi. The Father of Devolution, Baba, must surely be smiling where he rests,” Orengo wrote.

The governors, led by the Council of Governors chair Ahmed Abdullahi, while eulogizing the leader in a past event, described devolution as the brainchild of the late Orange Democratic Movement leader.

“The fruits of devolution—stronger local economies, improved service delivery, and enhanced public participation—are rooted in his advocacy,” the CoG chair said.

Sakaja visit

The visit came just days after Orengo and his Nairobi counterpart, Johnson Sakaja, visited the home of the late Raila Amolo Odinga in Bondo, two days after the former Prime Minister’s burial.

Accompanied by his wife, Betty Murungi, Orengo joined members of the Odinga family, including Mama Ida Odinga, Oburu Oginga, and Ruth Odinga, on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, to pay his respects and offer comfort in the aftermath of Kenya’s national loss.

Reflecting on the sombre visit, Orengo noted that the true weight of grief often settles in after the ceremonies are over.

“Losing a loved one sinks even deeper after the burial,” he said. “It’s in these quiet moments that the bereaved need our comfort the most,” he wrote.

On his part, while remembering his close friend, he further reveals how the late Former Prime Minister was a mighty tree under whose shade many found shelter.

“Raila Odinga was a mighty tree under whose shade many found shelter. His legacy will forever stand tall,” Orengo noted.