Rigathi Gachagua Reveals Why He Missed Raila Odinga’s Burial

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has finally explained why he did not attend the burial of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, an event that attracted thousands of mourners across the country.

Speaking during an interview on Ramogi TV on March 25, 2026, Gachagua said he had initially planned to attend the state funeral held at Nyayo National Stadium. However, he later received intelligence reports warning that he could be attacked.

According to him, such an incident would have caused chaos during a very important national event and disrupted the peaceful mourning of Raila Odinga.

Gachagua explained that he chose to stay away to avoid triggering tension between communities, especially between the Luo and Kikuyu groups.

“I had planned to attend the funeral at Nyayo Stadium, but I received information that some people were planning to attack me. This could have led to conflict between communities. I decided it was wiser not to attend and avoid chaos,” he said.

The former Deputy President, who is now part of the opposition leadership, added that he had also planned to travel to Bondo to personally console Raila’s family.

However, he claimed he again received warnings that there were plans to physically attack him during the visit. He said the alleged plan was meant to create division between different communities in the country.

As a result, Gachagua decided not to travel to Bondo. Instead, he reached out directly to Ida Odinga to pass his condolences.

“I called Mama Ida Odinga and sent my condolences together with my wife, Dorcas. She advised me that it was not the right time for me to travel,” he added.

Before his death in October 2025, Raila Odinga had been a strong critic of Gachagua. Their political rivalry was also linked to the broader disagreements involving President William Ruto.

Notably, Gachagua was the only senior opposition leader who neither attended the burial nor visited the family home to mourn with them.