Green Army: Hundreds of K’Ogalo fans travel to Bondo to honour Raila Odinga

Residents lined the roadside to wave as the buses passed, some clutching portraits of Raila

by FAITH MATETE

News11 November 2025 - 11:18

In Summary

They had come from every corner of the country, united by grief and reverence, for one final journey, to pay their last respects to Raila Amollo Odinga.
By mid-morning, the field had transformed into a sea of colour and song. Flags fluttered, vuvuzelas blared, and chants of “Gor! Gor! Gor Mahia!” echoed through the air in a moving rhythm of both loyalty and loss.

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As dawn broke over Kisumu City on Tuesday, the air was thick with emotion and the hum of anticipation. From as early as 7am, waves of Gor Mahia fans draped in the club’s iconic green and white jerseys began streaming into the Kisumu Sports Ground.

They had come from every corner of the country, united by grief and reverence, for one final journey, to pay their last respects to Raila Amollo Odinga.

By mid-morning, the field had transformed into a sea of colour and song. Flags fluttered, vuvuzelas blared, and chants of “Gor! Gor! Gor Mahia!” echoed through the air in a moving rhythm of both loyalty and loss.

Close to over 60 buses and other vehicle's stood lined up, engines rumbling, ready to carry thousands of fans to Kang’o Ka Jaramogi in Bondo, where the former Prime Minister and lifelong Gor Mahia patron was laid to rest.

Nicholas Okello, a former media liaison officer and longtime fan, spoke as he adjusted his green jacket.

“Raila was not just a politician to us,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

"He was part of this club, a true son of K’Ogalo. When he left for treatment, he met the team and gave them ten million shillings for operations. We never saw him alive again.Today, we go to say thank you and goodbye.”

Okello said they had fans from across the country converging at the grounds to go and pay their last respects. At Kango Kajaramogi, the fans will pay their tribute, lay the wreaths of flowers and hold prayers.

Later Okello said they will head to Opoda farm to meet mama Ida and the family. The convoy stretched for kilometres, a striking green ribbon winding its way through the Kisumu-Bondo highway.

Residents lined the roadside to wave as the buses passed, some clutching portraits of Raila, others holding club scarves aloft. Inside the buses, fans sang old Gor Mahia anthems that Raila himself often joined in at matches—songs that once celebrated victory but today carried tones of farewell.

For many, the journey is more than symbolic. It was a pilgrimage, a chance to honour a man who had stood with the club through its highs and lows, celebrated its victories, and supported it through financial storms.

As the convoy rolled into Bondo, the chants softened into silence. What had begun as a procession of pride became a solemn tribute to a legend of politics, of sport, and of a generation that believed in both.