In the days following his passing, the breadth of remembrance has been striking, and nowhere has it been more heartfelt than in the arenas he loved. The Raila Odinga Tribute in Sports has unfolded across stadiums, screens, and streets, drawing together fans from Nairobi to North London and as far as Romania, each gesture a reminder that sport can be a mirror of a nation’s soul.
Raila Odinga died while receiving treatment in India at the age of 80, and in keeping with his will, plans for his burial moved swiftly. A State Funeral was held at Nyayo National Stadium, then the casket journeyed to Kisumu for public viewing at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Mamboleo, continued to Bondo for an overnight vigil, and was set for burial at Opoda Farm in Siaya County. The timeline spoke to urgency, but also to intimacy, a shared farewell for a man who stood by Kenyan sport and its people.
The Arsenal family says farewell
Among the most visible international tributes came from Arsenal Fans TV, better known as AFTV, whose message resonated with supporters from Kenya and beyond. AFTV, founded by Robbie Lyle in 2012, has grown into the largest fan TV platform in the world with more than 1.7 million YouTube subscribers, and its bond with Kenyan supporters has only deepened after a recent seven-day visit to the country. In a message shared on social media, AFTV remembered Raila as a passionate Arsenal supporter and a friend of their community, a voice that brought warmth and energy to the Gunners’ global conversation.
The tribute read in part,
“Everyone at AFTV is deeply saddened by the passing of former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga. As a passionate Arsenal supporter and a friend to our community, his warmth and commitment inspired many. His legacy will live on, not only among Arsenal fans but across Kenya, where his leadership and love for the game touched countless lives.”
For many Kenyans, this was not just a club acknowledging a fan, it was a football family recognizing one of its own. Raila was often seen at the Emirates Stadium, and he relished the playful edge of football banter, once posting that beating Manchester United felt like the Lord’s Day, a wink that endeared him to a fan base that lives for such moments.
Respect far from home in Romania
Tributes did not stop at the Kenyan border, or in London. In Romania, Gloria Bistrita and Farul Constanta paused before kickoff to observe a minute of silence for Raila Odinga during a Superliga Women match. The scene at the center circle was simple and powerful, a mark of respect made more personal by Farul’s ties to Kenya through Harambee Starlets goalkeeper Lilian Awuor and defender Enez Mango. Awuor hails from Siaya County, the same place Raila called home, a connection that turned a European gesture into a Kenyan moment abroad.
Farul Constanta went on to win 1-0, Antonia Bratu striking in the 81st minute to reclaim top spot in the league on 20 points. Awuor kept a clean sheet across the full match, while Mango featured for more than an hour before making way for Botojel Cristiana. The win put Farul two points clear of Politehnica Timisoara, with Csíkszereda Miercurea Ciuc next in the chase. The team now turns to Unirea Alba Iulia after the international break, while their Kenyan duo has been called for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Harambee Starlets are set to face Gambia, beginning at Nyayo Stadium on October 24, then a reverse fixture in Senegal four days later, a schedule shaped by Gambia’s lack of an approved home venue.
A final send off written in football’s language
The farewell at home was steeped in sport, in images and gestures that said as much as words. At the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, where mourners gathered for the final service, television cameras caught a supporter slipping into Viktor Gyokeres’ now famous mask celebration, a small burst of levity in a solemn context, and a sincere nod to Raila’s identity as an Arsenal man. It was not planned, and it did not need to be, because in Kenya the language of football is as natural as a breath on a cool morning in Siaya.
Beyond the pitch, the ceremony at Nyayo Stadium carried the weight of national farewell. President William Ruto led tributes that framed Raila as a champion of democracy and social justice, and former President Uhuru Kenyatta moved mourners with memories of a longtime rival turned friend. He also promised to look after Ida Odinga and the family, a pledge that echoed through the stands and across the country. In the end, Raila’s request to be laid to rest within 72 hours set the rhythm for the procession, which included public viewings in Kisumu and Bondo, before the final journey to Opoda Farm in Siaya County.
The home front pauses to honor him
Football Kenya Federation added its voice with a message that captured both institutional respect and the deep personal affection that runs through the game. The Hussein Mohamed-led body remembered Raila as a statesman and a supporter of local football, then took concrete action by suspending all league matches nationwide for seven days in line with the period of national mourning. Their statement read,
“FKF joins the nation in mourning the passing of Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga. A statesman, visionary leader, and passionate supporter of local football, his legacy will continue to inspire. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and Kenyans during this difficult time.”
The impact was felt in scheduling too. The CAF Champions League second preliminary round first leg between Kenya Police FC and Sudan’s Al Hilal was moved from Nyayo National Stadium to Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, to accommodate the funeral service at Nyayo. FKF’s head of communication Jeff Kinyanjui affirmed that the match would proceed at 3 pm, underscoring how the country balanced respect, logistics, and the ongoing calendar of competition. In parallel, plans for body viewing shifted from Parliament Buildings to Kasarani, a last-minute adjustment that showed how national rituals and sport can share the same space.
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The patron and the player remembered
Raila’s ties to sport were not symbolic, they were lived. He served as patron of Gor Mahia, one of Kenya’s most storied clubs, and the club’s tribute framed him as a guiding light, a steadfast presence through the highs and lows that define any great football journey. In their words, he was a pillar of the club, a devoted fan and leader whose allegiance never faltered. For many supporters, this was not only a farewell to a statesman, it was a goodbye to a fellow traveler on the terraces.
Old footage of Raila lacing up only deepened that sense of shared history. A video from 2006 resurfaced, showing him wearing number 11 and moving with a confidence that spoke of familiar joy. Long before the offices and the motorcades, he had played for Luo FC, which later rebranded to Gor Mahia, and he also featured for Bunge FC. The reactions online were at once cheeky and sincere, with fans marveling at the touch, the balance, the remarkable endurance that stood out even after a life of trials. It was a reminder of how the ball can tell stories that words sometimes cannot.
Arsenal joy as a bittersweet echo
Football being what it is, the week delivered a result that felt like a gentle nod to the supporter so many knew. Arsenal beat Fulham 1-0 to reclaim top spot in the Premier League, with Leandro Trossard scoring from a clever set piece, Gabriel Magalhaes flicking Bukayo Saka’s corner into his path. Viktor Gyokeres featured in the match, and after a spirited start by the hosts, Mikel Arteta’s side showed patience, control, and the kind of resilience that Raila often celebrated in his social media banter.
Arteta captured the tone after the final whistle.
“I’m really pleased. We experienced in the last two seasons how difficult it is to win here, and we have experienced it again today. I love the mindset of the team.”
On a night of fine margins, a potential penalty initially awarded for a foul on Saka was rescinded after Anthony Taylor consulted the pitchside monitor, a reminder that control in football is often shared with the detail of VAR. Still, the three points stood, and for Arsenal supporters in Kenya it felt like a fitting salute.
A wider sporting embrace
The tributes spread across Kenyan sport. Rugby voices shared condolences and spoke of honoring the values of leadership and nation building that Raila championed. Athletics Kenya mourned a statesman whose passion helped shape the country’s sporting fabric. The wider community remembered him as a familiar face at the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani during the Africa Nations Championship, and as a patron of Gor Mahia who understood the pulse of the terraces. In these notes of remembrance, clarity emerges, that Raila’s connection to sport was rooted in presence, in showing up where the people gathered.
Hussein Mohamed, now the president of the Football Kenya Federation, offered a deeply personal perspective. He recalled Raila’s belief in sport as a unifying force, his support for grassroots football, and the trust he placed in Mohamed with the chairmanship of the Harambee Stars Management Board in 2009. He spoke of shared stadium journeys, including the recently concluded 2024 CHAN, and of a leader who was a fan at heart, a brother in sport whose courage and resilience continue to inspire.
Why the sports world will keep saying his name
In the end, what stands out is the consistency of the tributes, both grand and modest, both international and local. From AFTV’s heartfelt remembrance to a quiet minute of silence in Romania, from a league-wide pause imposed by FKF to the spontaneous Gyokeres mask celebration at JOOUST, each moment adds a thread to the same tapestry. It is the image of a man who saw in sport what millions see, a place where community is built, where identity is shared, and where the laughter of rivals can turn into the respect of friends.
The story will continue at every Gor Mahia home match, in every Harambee Starlets camp, and whenever Arsenal kick off with a Kenyan crowd watching. It will live in Siaya, in Kisumu, in Nairobi’s stadium halls, and on the road where jerseys and flags turn traffic into a parade. Most of all, it will endure because sport remembers those who show up. Raila Odinga showed up for Kenyan sport, and now Kenyan sport is showing up for him.
The moments that defined a week of remembrance
- Arsenal Fans TV message, a global fan community saluted Raila as a passionate Gunners supporter and friend,
- Romanian minute of silence, Gloria Bistrita and Farul Constanta honored him ahead of their Superliga Women match,
- FKF action and scheduling, leagues paused for seven days and Kenya Police versus Al Hilal moved to Kasarani.
There is no single play that sums up a legacy, no final whistle that captures a life. Yet, in these gestures, you can hear a nation’s applause. For the man, for the fan, for the patron, for the leader, the tributes will linger, like a matchday chorus that refuses to fade.
