This is What Raila Odinga's Traditional Regalia at Professor George Magoha's Funeral Means

As the funeral of the late Professor George Magoha continued at his home in Yala Siaya County. Azimio leader Raila Odinga arrived at the funeral of the late CS donned in Luo Traditional attire with a crowd chanting and cheering him.

Raila’s entry disrupted Cs education Ezekiel Machogu’s speech who was in the middle of delivering his speech.

The regalia and entry of Odinga has come as a culture shock to Kenyans who did not understand why the Luo elder went on to don that attire.

The regalia, animal skin accompanied with ‘’Tong’’ the shield  and ‘’Okumba” The spear are used traditionally by the Luo community in mourning their loved ones.

Odinga was accompanied by other Luo leaders like Siaya governor James Orengo who also donned the same attire holding a spear in his hand as they made their way to the coffin where they started chanting.

According to the Luo Culture a leader and elder of the community is supposed to be celebrated and that is exactly what Odinga and Orengo were doing at the late professor’s funeral.

The racing around with spear in their hands denoted a mock fight with the spirit of death

The Luo culture allows the leader to be given the respect he deserves. Elders would then don traditional regalia make their way into the compound chanting and dancing and rotating the coffin for hours just to celebrate a life well lived.

The world may have left their traditions behind but Raila Odinga continues to hold it close to heart as this is not the first time the former prime minister has paid respect to a fallen hero and leader.

In paying respect to Moi, Raila style was heavily laden with Luo traditional ways of mourning a person only comparable to a king.

The type of mourning the ODM leader exhibited then  is only accorded to great men in the society–those in the caliber of a king–according to Luo tradition.

In 2003 and 2014, he did the same for former Vice President Kijana Wamalwa and first Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’ respectively. 

In 2003, Raila arrived in Kitale in Luo regalia to mourn Wamalwa. He raced around the Kitale ASK stadium with a spear in his hands denoting a mock fight with the spirits of death.