Kalonzo links Uhuru’s absence from Raila anniversary to chaos at Migwena

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has linked former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s absence from the first anniversary of the late Raila Odinga’s death to security concerns following disruptions at Migwena Cultural Grounds in Bondo, Siaya County.

Kalonzo said Kenyatta had dispatched an advance team to assess the situation ahead of the October 15, 2026, commemoration, but the developments at the venue raised concerns about whether the event would proceed peacefully.

Addressing the media on Monday, Kalonzo described the incident as a shameful scene that undermined the family’s intention to bring together leaders and supporters from different political backgrounds to honour the former prime minister.

“A shameful scene, which I think is what informed the fourth President Uhuru Kenyatta not to show up, because he had sent his advance team, and it was clear. It was clear the place was infiltrated with bad faith, contrary to what Mama Ida and the family would have wanted to see,” Kalonzo said.

Kenyatta had been expected to attend the anniversary as chief guest but did not travel to Bondo.

His absence came amid heightened political tensions surrounding the event and disagreements over the legacy of the former Orange Democratic Movement leader.

Kalonzo argued that the disorder at Migwena contradicted the spirit of inclusivity that Raila’s family had sought to promote during the commemoration.

He recalled remarks by Raila’s daughter, East African Legislative Assembly MP Winnie Odinga, during the official opening of her father’s mausoleum, saying the family had expressed a desire for people to be allowed to voice their opinions.

“In fact, I remember Winnie at the official opening of the mausoleum, where she said that her late father would want everybody to have the right to speak their mind.”

The anniversary gathering was disrupted when sections of the crowd became rowdy, with youths crowding the VIP tent and interrupting proceedings.

Repeated appeals for the crowd to clear the restricted area were unsuccessful, prompting members of the Odinga family, including Raila’s widow, Ida Odinga, to move to another tent.

The situation escalated when stones were thrown towards the VIP tent, forcing security personnel to use plastic chairs to shield leaders as attendees scrambled for safety. Some people were reportedly injured.

Kalonzo said the incident exposed the risks facing those who had attended the memorial to mourn and pay tribute to the former prime minister.

“But then, what happened in Migwena? Stones were thrown at a VIP tent, and at wananchi, a crowd that came to mourn. Some of it was meant to run. We didn't run. We sat there,” he said.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said five suspects were arrested following the disturbance. Officers also recovered a machete, a sword and a knife, among other weapons, according to a statement issued on October 16.

The arrests came as authorities investigated the violence that disrupted an event intended to commemorate Raila’s life and political legacy.

The anniversary brought together family members, political leaders and supporters to remember Raila, who died on October 15, 2025, aged 80, while receiving treatment in India.

However, the gathering also exposed divisions within ODM and competing political positions over the party’s future and Raila’s legacy ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The event featured a church service, family tributes and musical performances, but heckling and disruptions interrupted parts of the programme.

Kalonzo said he and other attendees chose not to flee when the disturbance occurred, suggesting that remaining calm was preferable to reacting to the provocations.

His remarks add to questions surrounding the security arrangements at Migwena and the circumstances that led Kenyatta to miss the commemoration.