By IP Reporter
BONDO, Kenya (IP)
In Bondo, the wind off Lake Victoria carried the sound of grief — and, perhaps, a quiet echo of reconciliation between two men whose lives shaped the nation’s story.
President William Ruto stood before mourners at the state funeral of Raila Amolo Odinga — the late opposition leader, his one-time rival and in the end, a friend.
His voice was heavy with emotion as he recounted the final, difficult weeks leading to Odinga’s death — a journey of compassion, courage and quiet pain.
“The last one and a half months have been very tough,” Ruto said. “Every time I met him, his voice was hoarse, and he told me he was weak because of certain drugs he was taking. I kept in touch with him and followed up on his progress, and we agreed to meet after the UNGA in New York.”
Their communication never stopped, even as Odinga’s health continued to falter.
Ruto recalled returning from the United Nations General Assembly only to learn that Odinga had traveled to Malindi to rest, following his doctors’ advice.
In one of their last encounters, the two leaders met over a quiet dinner with the Odinga family at their Nairobi home. The evening, Ruto said, was filled with warmth, hope, and resolve.
“I told him the Kenyan government would facilitate his treatment in India, where he chose to be flown,” Ruto revealed.
But fate had other plans.
“That fateful morning, I was on my way to work when Oburu [Odinga] texted me on WhatsApp saying his brother was in critical condition,” Ruto said, his voice trembling.
“When I reached out to two of the people who had flown with him to India, they said the former Prime Minister was okay. But they did not know.”
Ten minutes later, the message came — uncertain, but final.
“Oburu told me, ‘It seems our brother has left us.’ He was not conclusive. Then Winnie called…” Ruto paused, emotion tightening his throat.
The President said Odinga’s passing struck him deeply — both as a leader and as a man who had come to respect Odinga’s steadfastness and spirit.
“It is sad that when we thought he was okay because he had called so many of us to tell us he was strong and had been cleared to return home, things changed for the worse,” Ruto said, his tone somber.
In the stillness of the Bondo afternoon, Ruto’s words cut through the silence — not as a political eulogy, but as a personal farewell.
“Indeed, it is a very big blow to me, like some commentators have said in the media,” he concluded. “Kenya has lost a statesman. I have lost a friend.”
As the crowd bowed their heads, the President’s tribute felt less like a speech and more like the closing chapter of a long, intertwined history — one marked by rivalry, resilience and at last, reconciliation.
