Kenya, 31 October 2025 - The funeral of Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga this month triggered one of the sharpest spikes ever seen in domestic air travel, exposing both the fragility and the resilience of Kenya’s transport and hospitality sectors.
According to new data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the average cost of a local flight in October rose 52 percent year-on-year to KSh 16,722.56, up from KSh 11,001.44 in 2024.
On the Nairobi-Kisumu route, the epicentre of national mourning, one-way fares shot to between KSh 18,000 and 23,000, almost double normal prices.
Kenya Airways and other domestic carriers, including Jambojet and Safarilink, ramped up frequencies and deployed larger aircraft as bookings surged ahead of the state funeral in Kisumu and the burial in Bondo.
The aviation rush was mirrored on the ground. Hotels and short-stay apartments in Kisumu reported near-100 percent occupancy, while catering, logistics, and car-hire services said business tripled compared with an ordinary week.
The Kenya Tourism Federation described it as “an extraordinary moment when national sentiment translated directly into economic activity.”
Economists say the surge underscores how event-driven travel can shape regional economies.
“Western Kenya saw a temporary but significant injection of spending, from airfares to food service, that shows the multiplier power of national events,” noted John Kinuthia, a Nairobi-based economic analyst.
Yet, the phenomenon also highlights systemic weaknesses. Kenya’s domestic aviation network remains concentrated around Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu.
Limited capacity means sudden demand shocks drive prices upward, raising concerns about affordability for ordinary travellers.
Transport analysts argue that expanding regional airports, such as Kakamega and Kisii, could reduce such volatility.
Beyond the airline sector, the ripple effects stretched to e-hailing and retail. Taxi operators in Kisumu said ride requests doubled, while local markets saw record sales of accommodation essentials and ceremonial attire.
With people still visiting his grave, and major political anniversaries and national holidays still ahead, the industry is already preparing for more crowd movements.
For the aviation and hospitality sectors, Raila Odinga’s funeral became both a stress test and a blueprint for how Kenya’s domestic travel economy reacts when emotion, politics, and infrastructure converge.
Odinga died on 15 October 2025 while undergoing treatment in India and was interred on 19 October 2025, a day before Mashujaa Day.
