President William Ruto has announced plans to establish a major Raila Odinga Memorial Library, Museum and Research Centre at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi in Bondo, Siaya County.
Speaking on Wednesday, October 7, Ruto said the facility would form the second phase of the Raila Odinga Mausoleum project, transforming the site into a major centre for historical education and research.
"This mausoleum will not be a silent place. It will be a living puzzle. We have just completed the first phase. In the next phase, we will build the Raila Memorial Library, Museum, and Research Centre," Ruto said.
The President said the proposed facility would draw hundreds of visitors, including young Kenyans and people from across Africa interested in learning about Kenya's political history and the legacy of its leaders.
"Young Kenyans and visitors from across Africa will come here to learn what courage looks like. This site will become a major heritage destination," he added.
Ruto said the project would also have an economic impact on the region by creating employment opportunities and generating income for residents of Siaya and the wider western Kenya region.
“We will turn the heritage that Jaramogi and Raila left us into a hub of historical knowledge, into jobs and incomes for the people of Siaya and the wider region,” Ruto revealed.
Ruto made the announcement after commissioning the Raila Odinga Mausoleum at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, where the late former Prime Minister was buried next to his father, the late former Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
The mausoleum stands about eight metres from Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s resting place and includes a paved walkway, landscaped buffer, new gates, signage and curved pathways leading to the main structure.
Construction of the mausoleum commenced on July 20 after the Odinga family handed over the ancestral site to the government. The Ministry of Defence was tasked with overseeing the construction.
During his address, Ruto also announced the planned launch of the 60,000-seater Raila Odinga International Stadium at Talanta City in Nairobi, which he said was already complete.
The President said the stadium would give Raila's legacy international visibility, with his name attached to a major sporting facility expected to host one of the continent's biggest sporting events.
“The 60,000-seater Raila Odinga International Stadium at Talanta City is complete. It will carry Raila’s name before the eyes of the whole continent and the world," Ruto said.
