Raila Odinga Mausoleum Sparks Jaramogi Site Revival

For more than three decades, Kang’o Ka Jaramogi in Bondo has been a destination for those seeking to connect with the legacy of Kenya’s first Vice President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

Soon, the historic homestead will take on a new identity as the resting place of his son, Raila Odinga, with the government unveiling plans for a mausoleum designed to preserve his political legacy while transforming the site into a centre for research, culture and public learning.

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) will spearhead construction of the Raila Odinga Mausoleum after completion of site surveys, with Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya saying the project is expected to be completed within two months.

The National Museums of Kenya, through chief architect Sanso Malaki, unveiled the designs during the official handover of the project site on Monday, July 20.

The proposed mausoleum will stand about eight metres from the existing Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum and will be connected through a landscaped walkway linking the legacies of two generations of the Odinga family.

Unlike Jaramogi’s hexagonal mausoleum, which was completed in 1995, the new structure will take a pentagonal shape, a design choice architects say represents strength, unity and collective purpose.

“The symbolism continues at the heart of the building,” Mr Malaki explained, with five descending steps leading visitors to the grave. The number five has been deliberately incorporated throughout the design concept.

A four-metre buffer zone around the grave will allow mourners and visitors to move comfortably, while interior walls will feature mini exhibitions documenting Raila Odinga’s life and political journey. A QR code system will also provide access to a wider digital archive of photographs, speeches and historical material.

READ MORE: Inside Odinga Family’s Sh120bn Kisumu Dream City

The development goes beyond a burial site. The master plan includes accommodation for researchers, a conference facility and an amphitheatre for cultural events, exhibitions, public lectures and discussions on Kenya’s political history.

Architects said the design draws inspiration from a traditional Luo homestead. 

Visitors will enter through recreated gate façades and follow a circular path leading first to Jaramogi’s mausoleum and then Raila’s, reflecting traditions of honouring elders.

Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga welcomed the project but urged planners to make it a centre for learning, not just a monument.

“Future generations should be able to understand Raila’s contribution to Kenya’s democratic struggle through interactive exhibitions and digital archives that bring history to life,” he said.

The architect said the current plans represent the first phase and that additional interactive features could be incorporated as the heritage complex expands.

When complete, Kang’o Ka Jaramogi is expected to evolve from a memorial site into a national heritage centre where architecture, history and memory converge.

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