Uhuru, Ruto to Share Podium in Bondo as Odinga Family Grapple With Protocol Dilemma

The Odinga family is facing a delicate planning challenge ahead of Raila Odinga’s first anniversary memorial events, with retired President Uhuru Kenyatta expected to attend as chief guest while President William Ruto is also likely to be present.

The arrangement has placed organisers in a difficult position, given the long-running political hostility between the two leaders.

The tension is especially high because Ruto and Uhuru have been openly at odds, with the President previously branding his predecessor a “rebel.”

Their possible shared presence at such a sensitive family and political event could easily turn the memorial into a stage for political confrontation instead of solemn remembrance.

Uhuru has recently alleged that Raila’s 2022 victory was stolen noting that he did everything to support the former primier.

The wider memorial programme, branded by ODM as “Mwezi wa Baba,” has already exposed divisions within the party and the opposition. Some leaders have used the early events to question Uhuru’s influence in Raila’s 2022 campaign, while others are pushing back against what they see as attempts to overshadow Raila’s legacy with 2027 politics.

To avoid embarrassment, Winnie Odinga has urged guests to respect the occasion and keep politics away from the memorial.

With the main candle-lighting and commemorations set for Bondo and later Nairobi, the family now has the uneasy task of managing protocol between two leaders whose relationship remains deeply strained.

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