Video of Raila Odinga Boarding Matatu Emerges as Kenyans Remember late PM Ahead of 1st Anniversary

• A video of Raila Odinga ditching his motorcade to board a public matatu in Nairobi resurfaced online, drawing thousands of views
• The footage, originally from July 2023, showed the late politician riding a Route 111 matatu from Karen to the CBD with his guard, Maurice Ogeta
• Kenyans flooded the comments with emotional tributes as the clip circulated weeks before the first anniversary of his passing

A throwback clip of Raila Odinga stepping onto a public matatu in Nairobi has gone viral again, tugging at the heartstrings of Kenyans who are still coming to terms with the loss of the veteran opposition leader.

The video, captured in a candid, documentary-style manner, shows Raila dressed in blue, boarding a Route 111 matatu plying the Karen to Nairobi CBD route alongside his bodyguard Maurice Ogeta.

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The outing took place on July 10, 2023. Rather than travelling in his usual motorcade, Raila chose to squeeze into a public matatu with ordinary commuters, a move his team framed as an act of solidarity meant to give him a firsthand feel of the daily transport hustle that millions of Kenyans endure.

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During the ride, fellow passengers and the conductor seized the chance to raise their concerns directly with him, particularly about the punishing cost of fuel and the wider cost of living crisis gripping Kenyan households at the time.

After alighting at the Ambassadeur bus stop, Raila then walked through the streets of Nairobi’s CBD, stopping to pay his respects at monuments honouring freedom fighters Tom Mboya and Dedan Kimathi.

Watch the video below:

Tributes pour in

The clip resurfaced weeks before the first anniversary of his passing, and the timing hit differently for many. Comments poured in, mixing grief with admiration.

@Sheldon wrote:

“Up to now I’ve not come to terms with the reality that he died; I tend to imagine he’s just somewhere sitting in silence.”

@ŠÏMBÃ reflected deeply:

“He knew his time was up, so he put the nation first. That’s why he never opposed this regime, because he knew if he did, the people would rise, and there would be chaos after he was gone; he didn’t want that. Because he didn’t have someone to replace him after he was gone😭😭people might think he betrayed them but only a few know what was going on…..”

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@Jamil Ndegwa offered a different take:

“Afadhali angekaa tu kando na serikali, awe anafanyia mambo mbali sahii bado angekua tu.”

@okumuismael9 kept it light:

“Nani aneza identified hiyo matatu saizi September 2026.”

@Veal drew a pop culture parallel:

“Hii inaleta dembe and Reddington vibes.”

One commenter, going by the handle ☺️☺️☺️, perhaps summed up the mood of the comment section best:

“No one will ever have his aura, not even if they tried.”

Will October 15 be a public holiday to honour Raila?

TUKO.co.ke also highlighted facts about the citizens’ calls for October 15 to become an annual public holiday in honour of the late Raila.

Raila died in India on October 15, 2025, aged 80, after collapsing during a morning walk. President William Ruto has proposed renaming Kisumu International Airport and Talanta Stadium after the former prime minister.

Source: TUKO.co.ke