Tears and wails shattered the quiet morning at Opoda Farm in Bondo, Siaya County, as news of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s death hit the country.
Raila passed away at the age of 80, on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 9:52 am Indian time.
An Indian hospital, Ayurvedic, said he suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed during a morning walk at 8:30 am, within the premises of the facility.
Upon receiving the news, Bondo residents and mourners marched to his home to pay their respects the the former Prime Minister.
The mood was somber and emotional, with mourners weeping openly in accordance with Luo traditions.
Images and videos shared on social media captured scenes of grief and communal lamentation as people struggled to come to terms with the loss of a man many considered the heartbeat of Kenya’s democratic struggle.
Raila Odinga’s Famous Opoda Farm in Bondo
Opoda Farm, the rural home of the late Raila Odinga, was more than just a residence.
Like many prominent Kenyans who maintain at least two homes—one in a plush city estate and another in their ancestral area—Opoda served as a holiday retreat.
It was a place where Odinga recharged his energy, enjoyed private moments with family, and hosted VIP guests.
Also Read: Inside the Indian Hospital Where Raila Odinga Spent His Final Hours
Television footage and newspaper photographs often captured Odinga at Opoda in contrasting roles, sometimes in short trousers and gumboots ploughing with a tractor or working with a jembe.
In 2010, footage showed Raila at his Opoda Farm. As we were told, he was an early riser. With the first rays of sunshine breaking through, Raila was soon out and about. True to his routine, by 6:00 a.m., he would already be in the cowshed.
The cows at the farm had interesting names, such as Ngilu, Fatuma, Lesos, Manduli, and Wangari. The former PM knew exactly how much milk each cow produced.
His wife, Ida, regularly joined him during his outings on the farm. He always had a busy schedule that included meetings with his farm manager.
Raila said that his interest in farming was strengthened by his upbringing, adding that being a farmer himself put him in a good position to understand the challenges other farmers face.
The former PM had been vocal in his calls for eco-friendly living. For instance, he harvests all the rainwater collected on his Opoda Farm.
The vast farm is divided into two by a busy public road, and the former Prime Minister occasionally meets locals fetching water from the farm.
Besides the dairy cattle, the farm also has indigenous cattle, sheep, and goats in the Bondo area.
Also Read: Uhuru Mourns Raila Odinga in Long, Emotional Tribute
Raila Odinga’s Political Shrine and Meeting Ground for Kenya’s Power Brokers
At other times, Raila could be seen in an executive suit, hosting high-profile visitors.
Among the visitors to the farm in the recent past are Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Olusegun Obasanjo, the former Nigerian president.
Much less known to the public is that Opoda also serves as a political shrine for local politicians in a region where perceived loyalty to Odinga or his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party can make or break a career.
Almost everyone who has served as an MP or senator in Luo Nyanza over the past 17 years—or aspired to do so—has sought the coveted opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Opoda.
In 2020, ODM leader Raila Odinga moved closer to bridging perceived divides between the Luo and Kikuyu communities when he hosted a section of Kikuyu elders at his Opoda Farm.
The meeting with the Council of Eminent Persons of Murang’a, led by former chairman Joe Kibe, came just a day after a delegation of Nyanza elders and political leaders held talks with their central Kenya counterparts in Kieni, Nyeri County.
In 2019, Raila Odinga had also met with a Rift Valley delegation at Opoda Farm. Community leaders, mainly from Nakuru and Naivasha, visited the former Prime Minister under the stewardship of former Molo MP Njenga Mungai and Musa Sirma of Eldama Ravine.
Raila said: “Mama Ida and I are pleased to have hosted a delegation of elders and leaders from Nakuru County at our home in Bondo. We discussed a range of issues, including national unity and reconciliation, as well as the ongoing war on corruption.”
In 2024, Raila hosted Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja at his farm.
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