Bondo, Kenya – The late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s son, Raila Odinga Junior, has officially taken over his father’s role as the head of the Odinga family following a traditional Luo shaving ceremony, locally known as liedo, held on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at the family’s Opoda Farm in Bondo, Siaya County.
The intimate yet symbolic ritual took place three days after Raila Odinga’s burial, in accordance with Luo customs that dictate a family heir must undergo the shaving ceremony to mark the end of mourning and the beginning of new leadership.
The event was attended by close family members, Luo elders, cultural leaders, and a few invited guests. Traditional dancers performed songs and dances in honour of the late opposition leader, creating an atmosphere of unity, remembrance, and renewal.
According to Luo traditions, the liedo ritual signifies cleansing and transition. The heir’s head is shaved to symbolize the washing away of grief and the acceptance of new responsibilities.
Normally, the act is performed by the eldest sister of the deceased, who makes three symbolic cuts before the full shaving takes place.
During the ceremony, Raila Junior was handed a spear and shield — symbols of protection and leadership — and briefly joined the dancers, marking his formal acceptance as the new head of the Odinga household.
The firstborn son usually assumes this role, but following the death of Fidel Odinga in 2015, Raila Junior became the natural successor.
Speaking briefly after the event, Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, Raila’s elder brother, said the ceremony represented “continuity and unity in the Odinga lineage,” adding that it was a way to honour both tradition and family legacy.
While it is customary for the heir’s spouse and children to also take part in the shaving ritual, sources at the event said Raila Junior’s wife expressed some reservations about participating — a move the elders said would not affect the ceremony’s significance.
Traditionally, the shaving would be done near a river to symbolize cleansing, but modern families now perform it at home while maintaining its spiritual meaning.
The Luo community believes that death marks not an end, but a transition into the ancestral realm. Such rituals help ensure that the deceased joins the ancestors peacefully, continuing to watch over and guide the living.
As is customary, the Odinga family will continue to honour their patriarch’s memory through annual grave maintenance ceremonies, communal feasts, and thanksgiving events that celebrate the lives and contributions of their departed leaders — Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and now Raila Amolo Odinga.
The ceremony marked not only the passing of an era but also the beginning of a new chapter for one of Kenya’s most prominent political families.
