Thursday, October 16,
2025 - Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Communications Director, Philip
Etale, has joined Kenyans and world leaders in mourning the passing of former
Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
In a deeply personal tribute shared on X (formerly Twitter),
Etale reflected on his close bond with Raila, revealing a moment that nearly
turned confrontational.
Etale recounted how Raila once almost slapped him after he
jokingly suggested rigging the election, frustrated by repeated losses amid
allegations of vote theft.
“He turned blue, looked at me with sharp eyes, switched his
phone from the left to the right hand.”
“Then I knew he was about to smack my face,” Etale wrote.
Raila reportedly responded, “Stop this nonsense. Why would a
sane person plan to rig a democratic election?”
Etale described Raila as a principled leader who valued
integrity and the rule of law.
“He could never sleep with my missed call; he returned it
even in the middle of the night,” he added.
“Baba, I will miss you.”
Raila Odinga died of cardiac arrest while undergoing
treatment at an Ayurvedic facility in India.
His passing has prompted a wave of national mourning.
President William Ruto declared seven days of mourning, with
flags flying at half-mast across Kenya and its diplomatic missions.
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen announced Friday, October 17th,
as a public holiday in Raila’s honour.
A state funeral will be held on Friday at Nyayo Stadium, followed by an overnight stay at his Karen home. On Saturday, the body will be flown to Kisumu for public viewing at Moi Stadium, then transported to Bondo for burial on Sunday, fulfilling Raila’s wish to be laid to rest within 72 hours of his death.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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