REVEALED: Why Raila Odinga Was Quickly Buried And How
Dennis Onyango, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s assistant, has stated that Raila told him he wanted to be buried within 72 hours of his death following the death of former Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s Sunday Live, Onyango said he didn’t take Raila’s statements seriously at the time and felt he was speaking informally.
“He told me, even me, when I die, I want that thing done in 72 hours,” Onyango said.
According to Onyango, the chat occurred while he was in Migori.
Dennis Onyango: Raila told me about him being buried within 72hr after General Ogolla’s passing. I thought he was joking and did not know it was in his will #CitizenSundayLive pic.twitter.com/jwbMOsbgGS— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) June 7, 2026
“When General Ogolla died, I was in the village in Migori,” he said.
“Raila wanted to go to Ogolla’s home and he told me the guy wrote in the will that he would be buried in 72 hours. Then he said that is the way I would also want to be buried.”
Dennis Onyango: Raila would be shocked and annoyed that people are still mourning him. When I heard about his death, I was shocked because we had spoken 2 days before. It was unbelievable but since he talked about death casually and did not take it seriously, I thought to myself… pic.twitter.com/FXf9jTFoN0— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) June 7, 2026
He stated that he never anticipated that Raila had formally included the command in his will.
“I told him nobody would accept those things. I thought he was joking. So when I got to Karen and I was told it was 72 hours, I thought this guy was serious,” Onyango said.
His remarks offered a glimpse into Raila’s attitude towards death, which Onyango described as unusually relaxed for a man of his stature and influence.
According to Onyango, discussions about death never appeared to trouble the former Prime Minister, who remained focused on his political work, ideas and plans for the future.
Dennis Onyango: The last conversation we had when he was leaving for India never to come back was about putting his speeches together and a book on Pan Africanism #CitizenSundayLive pic.twitter.com/40pNeSxD0K— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) June 7, 2026
“Raila talked about death very casually,” he said.
The revelations emerged nearly eight months after Odinga’s death as Onyango reflected on his final interactions with the veteran politician.
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He recalled speaking to Raila while he was undergoing treatment in India, saying the former Prime Minister sounded upbeat and optimistic about his recovery.
“He sounded very okay. He told me they had checked everything and treated the problem,” Onyango said.
According to Onyango, Raila informed him that he planned to make a brief stop in Dubai before returning to Nairobi.
Onyango described Raila as a leader who remained constantly engaged with ideas, political strategy and Pan-Africanism.
He noted that discussions about death never appeared to dominate his thinking despite the comments he occasionally made about how he wished to be remembered.
REVEALED: Why Raila Odinga Was Quickly Buried And How
