Tension briefly filled the air in Siaya during an ODM meeting at Oburu Oginga’s home when a visibly emotional man interrupted proceedings, accusing party leaders of seeking comfort while “Raila Odinga was being rained on.”
The Friday gathering, meant to discuss ODM’s future after Raila’s burial, brought together grassroots leaders and elected officials from across Nyanza. However, the meeting took an unexpected turn when heavy rain began to pour, sending everyone rushing under tents for cover.
As the leaders huddled under the canopies, a young man wearing an orange ODM cap remained standing in the open, shouting at the crowd to join him in the rain.
“Raila is being rained on outside while you sit in tents!” he cried out, his voice shaking with emotion. The moment, caught on video, quickly spread online, sparking mixed reactions among Kenyans.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo responded calmly, using humor to ease the tension. “This young man is rebuking us because we are dry under tents while Raila is outside. He wants everyone to stand in the rain like him,” Otiende said, drawing laughter from the drenched audience.
The incident, though brief, highlighted the depth of emotion still surrounding Raila Odinga’s death and the almost spiritual reverence many of his supporters hold for him. For some, Raila’s ideals of sacrifice and resilience live on, even in symbolic acts like braving the rain in his honor.
Raila was buried a few days earlier at his Opoda Farm home in Bondo, where hundreds of mourners continue to visit his grave—turning it into a quiet place of reflection for those still grappling with his loss.
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