Dress in Black, Wear a Ribbon: MPs to Honour Raila Odinga in “Special Sitting”
A solemn silence engulfed the National Assembly chambers on Wednesday afternoon as Speaker Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Moses Wetang’ula led MPs in mourning former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, hailing him as a towering statesman whose courage and sacrifice are etched in Kenya’s democratic history.
In a chamber weighed down by grief, Speaker Wetang’ula urged Members of Parliament to dress in black and wear black ribbons during tomorrow’s sitting, as a solemn gesture of solidarity with millions of Kenyans mourning the fallen leader.
“It is my humble advice, from yours truly, that we come in a sombre state and in sombre attire tomorrow,” the Speaker said, his tone heavy with emotions.
“Let us dress in black and for those without, kindly find one this afternoon. I also request our good ladies to provide black ribbons for everyone. In doing so, we will together demonstrate our deep respect and appreciation for our fallen heroic leader.”
The Speaker announced that tomorrow, Thursday, October 16th, 2025, the National Assembly would hold a full-day sitting exclusively dedicated to eulogizing Odinga, popularly known as Baba.
From 10 a.m. until late into the night, MPs from across the political divide will rise to share memories, lessons, and reflections on the life of a man who stood at the centre of Kenya’s most defining political moments.
“Following the communication and address by His Excellency the President announcing the passing on of the Right Honorable Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga,” Wetang’ula declared, “this House joins the nation in mourning our fallen hero.”
Inside the august House, the usually vibrant exchanges were replaced by silence, sombre faces, and bowed heads that demonstrated a rare moment of unity.
At one point, Wetang’ula drew from history to underscore the moment’s gravity. “Like it was said in England, ‘The Queen is dead, long live the Queen’, Baba is dead, long live Baba,” he said, as MPs nodded in quiet agreement.
The Speaker reminded legislators that Odinga’s stature transcended political boundaries, regions, and social classes.
“The late Prime Minister was larger than Kisumu,” he noted. “He was loved from Vanga to Kibera, from the coast to the highlands, by those who saw in him the courage to speak truth to power.”
Wetang’ula further disclosed that both the Leader of Majority and Leader of Minority will travelled to Mumbai, India, to accompany Mama Ida Odinga and a high-level delegation of Cabinet Secretaries and senior leaders in repatriating the late Prime Minister’s body.
The House rose for a minute of silence at the Speaker’s request, to gesture a collective grief for a man who had endured prison, exile, political storms, and betrayals yet never gave up on the dream of a just and united Kenya.
“Baba may be gone,” Wetang’ula concluded, “but his dream for a just and united Kenya remains alive in all of us.”
