A promise made to Kenya’s first Vice President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, grew into a decades-long bond between the Odinga family and Royal Media Services Chairman S.K. Macharia, who later supported Raila Odinga’s political journey, including providing a helicopter, pilot and fuel for his 2022 presidential campaign.
Macharia revealed the personal story behind his relationship with the family while speaking at Raila’s first death anniversary at Migwena Grounds in Bondo, Siaya County, on Thursday, October 15, 2026. He described his support for the late former Prime Minister as a commitment rooted in friendship, trust and a promise he made to the family patriarch.
The businessman recalled that Jaramogi entrusted him with looking after his sons, Raila and Oburu Oginga, during their final meeting in Nairobi. He said the moment came as he escorted the veteran politician to his vehicle outside Ajib House, where Jaramogi had maintained his office.
Macharia said the responsibility he accepted that day shaped his relationship with the family for years, keeping him close to Raila despite criticism over his political links and support.
He explained that his involvement in Raila’s campaigns went beyond words, pointing to the resources he committed to the former prime minister’s bid for the presidency in 2022.
“I supported Raila through faith, and I don't know what to say. You can imagine for a man of my calibre in the last election providing Raila a helicopter and a pilot and all the fuel to do the campaign at my cost,” Macharia said.
His account offered a rare glimpse into the personal assistance Raila received from friends who stood by him through successive presidential campaigns. Macharia did not, however, disclose the financial value of the helicopter arrangement or the number of campaign trips it supported.
The relationship between Macharia and the Odinga family began when Jaramogi was a leading figure in Kenya’s independence-era politics. In an earlier account of their association, Macharia recalled that Jaramogi had persuaded him to return to Kenya from abroad to help with the country's land transfer programme after independence.
Over the years, that connection grew into a close friendship with Raila, extending beyond political activities to personal and family matters.
Ida Odinga has also spoken publicly about Macharia’s longstanding friendship with the family. She previously recalled that he reached out to her in 1992 after she lost her job, reflecting the support he had offered the family at different points in their lives.
Macharia said their bond remained strong even after Raila lost the 2022 presidential election to William Ruto. Rather than distancing themselves from him, Raila and his elder brother, Oburu, visited his home to offer comfort following the outcome.
He recalled that the two brothers encouraged him not to lose hope, reminding him that another opportunity could come in the future.
“In the 2022 election, when Raila did not make it, Raila and his brother Oburu came to my house to cool me down, to tell me not to worry. There is always tomorrow. It is not me who went to Raila; it is Raila and his brother who came to my house,” he said.
The visit, he explained, showed that the relationship was not based solely on his support for Raila’s political ambitions, but also on the personal friendship they had built over many years.
Macharia also spoke about his last telephone conversation with Raila, which took place two days before the former prime minister died while receiving medical treatment in India.
According to Macharia, Raila asked him to travel to Siaya to support Oburu at a function held at the office of Governor James Orengo.
During their conversation, Macharia said Raila sounded hopeful about returning to Nairobi within days, leaving him with the impression that his condition had improved.
“We talked over the phone, and he told me that he is ready to come back in the next two or three days to come back to Nairobi; he has finished the mission that he had gone to, and he is well. It was a shock,” Macharia said.
The businessman said the news of Raila’s death caught him by surprise because their final conversation had given him reason to believe that the former prime minister was recovering and would soon return home.
He described Raila’s death as a painful loss not only for his family but also for the country, pointing to the late politician’s role in Kenya’s struggle for democracy.
“I have equally, my family has lost a great friend, a great Kenyan, and a president that Kenya needed but never had,” he said.
Macharia’s recollections formed part of tributes delivered at Migwena Grounds, where members of the Odinga family, political leaders, friends and supporters gathered to remember Raila’s life and reflect on his legacy.
The gathering marked one year since Raila died on October 15, 2025, bringing together those who knew him personally and those who followed his decades-long political career.