Raila Odinga Junior was on Thursday formally installed as the new head of the Odinga family, following a colourful traditional ceremony held at the family’s ancestral home in Bondo, Siaya County.
The installation, rich in Luo cultural rites, song, and dance, came just days after the burial of his father, former Prime Minister and ODM leader Raila Amolo Odinga, who was laid to rest on Sunday.
The event was led by family patriarch Dr. Oburu Oginga, Siaya Senator and elder brother to the late opposition leader, who said the occasion marked a symbolic transfer of family leadership to Junior.
“It is a ceremony involving rites to give blessings to the new head of the family according to our culture,” Dr. Oburu explained.
“The shaving will be done by one of Junior’s grandmothers, and he will be given the necessary instruments of power and display them.”
Family members, close relatives, and community elders attended the private event, which featured traditional dancers and singers who performed throughout the ceremony.
As part of the rite, Raila Junior was presented with a traditional Luo shield and adorned with an animal skin cloak, symbolizing protection and authority.
According to Luo customs, the eldest surviving son traditionally assumes the mantle of family leadership upon the death of the father. Raila Junior now becomes the head of the Odinga lineage, succeeding his father in the symbolic family role.
Raila Jr is the only surviving son of the late opposition leader, following the death of his elder brother, Fidel Castro Odinga, in 2015.
The installation is viewed as both a cultural continuity and a spiritual blessing, ensuring that the Odinga family maintains unity and guidance in the post-Raila era.
