Raila died on October 15, 2025, while receiving treatment in India, aged 80.
A year later, his family, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), political allies and supporters are preparing a series of activities to mark the anniversary.
The events have already attracted significant attention because the family-led memorial programme and ODM’s “Mwezi wa Baba” programme are being organised through separate structures, although the family has publicly welcomed ODM’s activities.
October 2: Kenyans light candles for Raila
ODM kicked off its month-long remembrance programme on Friday, October 2, with a nationwide candle-lighting ceremony scheduled for 6pm.
The main Nairobi gathering is at Uhuru Park, while other designated venues include Kisumu Central Square and Mombasa’s Treasury Square.
ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga urged Kenyans at home and abroad to participate.
“One year ago, Kenya lost a giant. We lost Baba.”
Wanga also described Raila as:
“Agwambo Wuod Nyalego and the father of devolution.”
She added:
“Some legacies do not fade. Some memories do not die.”
The party has branded October “Mwezi wa Baba” and planned activities in different parts of the country.
Babu Owino adds another Nairobi event
The October 2 remembrance has also produced a separate gathering at Jacaranda Grounds in Embakasi East.
MP Babu Owino said he would host a candle-lighting ceremony there, citing the venue's significance in Raila's political journey.
“Jacaranda was a place very dear to Baba.”
Babu added:
“It holds many memories of his journey, his people, and the struggle for a better Kenya.”
The event is scheduled alongside ODM’s wider nationwide remembrance activities.
October 9: ODM heads to Kakamega
ODM's month-long programme will continue with a major memorial rally in Kakamega on October 9.
The event is expected to bring together supporters from Kakamega, Vihiga, Busia, Bungoma and Trans Nzoia.
The party will then hold activities in other parts of the country, including Garissa, the Coast region, Kajiado and Turkana, before a Nairobi event later in October.
October 14: Ida Odinga to lead international candle-lighting
One of the biggest moments in the family-led programme will come on Wednesday, October 14.
Ida Odinga will lead an international candle-lighting ceremony at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi in Bondo, where Raila was buried.
The ceremony is scheduled for 6pm East Africa Time.
The family-led steering committee has invited Kenyans and people around the world to participate simultaneously.
Prof Adams Oloo, who chairs the committee, said:
“Wherever you may be, at home, in your place of worship, or in any corner of the world, light a candle in his memory at that hour.”
He added:
“So that one light may shine in a million places at once.”
The committee has also made clear that the family-led event is separate from ODM's October 2 programme, while stressing that it has given its blessing to the party's candle-lighting initiative.
October 15: Main Raila memorial in Bondo
The main anniversary commemoration will take place on October 15 at Migwena Cultural and Sports Ground in Bondo.
Activities are expected to begin at 8am.
The event will mark exactly one year since Raila's death and is expected to bring together members of his family, political leaders, supporters and members of the public.
The steering committee has described the remembrance as an opportunity for Kenyans from different political, religious and community backgrounds to honour Raila's life and legacy.
Family issues warning over Raila fundraising
Amid the preparations, the memorial steering committee has issued a warning over people allegedly collecting money in Raila's name.
Committee chairperson Adams Oloo said the family and committee had received information about individuals soliciting funds for the anniversary.
He said neither the family nor the committee had authorised such fundraising.
“Everyone is warmly welcome to celebrate Baba in the best way they can.”
But Oloo added an important condition:
“Provided that no funds are raised in the name of the family or the National Steering Committee.”
He said the warning was issued to prevent the remembrance period from being exploited for personal gain.
Kalonzo brings politics into the anniversary
The commemorations have also attracted political debate.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has questioned his participation in events where he believes Raila's political legacy could be used for political purposes.
Kalonzo said:
“I cannot stomach a situation where those who denied Raila victory are coming here to dance on his grave.”
He also said:
“Raila hajakwisha.”
His remarks have added a political layer to an anniversary that the family-led committee has presented as a broader national remembrance.
ODM, meanwhile, has continued framing its programme around Raila's political legacy and his contribution to Kenya's democratic history.
What happens after October 15?
The remembrance programme does not end with the Bondo memorial.
ODM's schedule continues after the anniversary, with activities planned in Garissa on October 17, the Coast on October 18 and 19, Kajiado on October 21 and Turkana between October 23 and 25.
The party's programme is expected to culminate in Nairobi on October 31.
This means Raila's first anniversary is being marked not by a single ceremony but by a month-long series of events spread across Kenya and beyond.
For the Odinga family, the focus is on remembering his life and legacy.
For ODM, October provides an opportunity to honour the party's founding leader and mobilise supporters around his political legacy.
And for thousands of Kenyans, the candle-lighting ceremonies and Bondo memorial provide an opportunity to remember a political figure whose influence shaped Kenya's public life for decades.
As October 15 approaches, attention will increasingly turn to Bondo, where Raila's family, political allies, supporters and other national leaders are expected to gather for the main anniversary commemoration.
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