Raila Junior Installed as Odinga Family Head in Symbolic Luo Ceremony

Kenya, 23 October 2025 - In a ceremony steeped in Luo tradition and political symbolism, Raila Junior, the surviving son of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, was on Thursday installed as the new head of the Odinga family.

The ritual, witnessed by prominent political leaders and family elders, marked a generational transition within one of Kenya’s most influential political dynasties.

The event, held just days after Odinga’s burial, brought together family members and close allies, including Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, Mama Ida Odinga, Siaya Governor James Orengo, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga.

The installation began with a traditional shaving ritual, a key Luo custom marking the end of mourning.

Raila Junior’s grandmother initiated the process, which was completed by a family-appointed barber.

Siaya Senator, [Raila] Odinga’s elder brother, emphasized that the ceremony harmonised both cultural and religious values.

Following the ritual, elders formally installed Junior as the new family head, dressing him in traditional regalia — a hide skin, shield, spear, and headgear — symbolising readiness to protect and lead the family.

He was then escorted by friends and relatives to Kang'o Ka Jaramogi, the ancestral home of his grandfather Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, driving three bulls as part of the symbolic procession.

During the ceremony, Senator Oginga clarified that while Raila Junior had assumed the symbolic leadership of the Odinga household, strategic family and cultural decisions would continue to flow through him as the senior family spokesperson.

“As per Luo tradition, we have installed Junior as the head of the family on the fourth day after his father’s burial. However, as the family elder and spokesperson, all decisions will still be made through me — just as it was during his father’s time,” said Dr Oginga.

He likened the ritual to Biblical traditions, referencing the story of Isaac blessing his sons Jacob and Esau before his death.

For many observers, the ceremony underscored the Odinga family’s commitment to preserving Luo cultural practices, while also symbolically transferring a mantle of leadership within Kenya’s most storied political lineage.

Dr Oginga noted that a similar ritual was performed following the death of the family patriarch, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, in 1994.

He added that Thursday’s event marked the official end of mourning for Raila Odinga, in accordance with Luo customs.

“This ritual signifies the end of mourning for Raila Odinga and the continuity of his lineage. As custodians of Luo culture, we could not disregard it,” he said.

While largely ceremonial, Raila Junior’s installation carries both cultural and political undertones.

With his father’s passing, the younger Odinga now steps into a symbolic leadership role that could shape perceptions of succession within the family and, potentially, the broader Luo political landscape.