BONDO, Kenya, Oct 19 — A remarkable and little-known chapter of Raila Amolo Odinga’s life came to light on Sunday during his funeral service, when Bishop David Kodia of the Anglican Diocese of Bondo revealed that the late opposition leader was baptized under “controversial circumstances.”
Speaking before President William Ruto, senior government officials, and thousands of mourners gathered at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), Bishop Kodia recounted that Raila’s baptism almost failed to take place because a white priest objected to the traditional name chosen by his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
“Raila was baptized under controversial circumstances when a white priest refused to baptize him because the father chose the name Raila Amolo Odinga instead of John or David or something else,” Bishop Kodia said.
According to the Bishop, it took the direct intervention of the Archbishop of Canterbury for the young Raila to finally be baptized in the Anglican Church.
“Due to the intervention from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Raila was baptized in the Anglican Church,” Bishop Kodia explained.
He further revealed that, despite the baptism, Raila’s confirmation into full membership of the Anglican Church took many years.
Confirmed by Archbishop Welby
It was only after visiting the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, in London that Raila was formally confirmed as a full member and permitted to partake in Holy Communion.
“Sometimes he went back to Canterbury and paid a visit to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and he was confirmed there as a full member of the Anglican Church, given the right to take Holy Communion,” Bishop Kodia said.
“The last time we had a service at St. Peter’s Church, that was his first time to take Holy Communion in his own church after confirmation.”
Bishop Kodia described Raila as a faithful and active member of the Anglican Church, regularly attending services at St. Peter’s Church, where his family also worshipped.
“Raila Odinga was a member of this diocese and also a member of this parish — St. Peter’s Church — where he was a faithful member. That church is feeling a great loss because of the enormous presence of Raila Odinga’s family in that church,” Bishop Kodia said.
‘Privilege and honour’
Expressing the diocese’s deep sorrow over Raila’s passing, Bishop Kodia thanked President Ruto and the State for their support in organizing the funeral, describing it as “an event that will go down in the annals of history.”
“We feel privileged and honored. I want to thank His Excellency the President and his entire team for making this honor a reality in our Bondo town,” he said.
The Bishop concluded his remarks by urging mourners to reflect spiritually during the service, noting that, were it not for the packed state program, a Holy Communion service would have been included in Raila’s sendoff.
“We are giving him a full Christian burial,” Bishop Kodia affirmed. “If we had time like any other ordinary funeral, we would have had a Holy Communion service here as a way of sendoff.”
The revelation added a deeply personal and spiritual dimension to the state funeral of a man whose life and politics were inseparable from Kenya’s history — and whose faith journey, as it turns out, began with a struggle for the recognition of his African identity.
