Oburu Oginga sends apology as he skips Raila Odinga Mausoleum handover

Nairobi, Kenya – The distinctive pentagonal design of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's mausoleum near Kango ka Jaramogi in Bondo was intentionally chosen to reflect a significant symbol from his political career, according to Kenya Defence Forces officers guiding dignitaries during its handover to the Odinga family.

Samson Malaki, one of the officers, explained that the five-sided structure draws inspiration from the raised fist, a gesture widely associated with Odinga. This fist was not a symbol of confrontation, but rather a representation of strength and a call to unity among Kenyans. With five fingers forming the fist, the decision to create a pentagonal mausoleum was made to visually connect Raila's final resting place with that of his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, whose mausoleum has six sides.

The architects aimed to maintain a sense of continuity between the two structures by using geometric forms from Jaramogi's mausoleum in the design of Raila's mausoleum. The number five has played a pivotal role in Odinga's political journey, notably during the 2007 General Election when a group of five prominent politicians, known as the Pentagon, competed for the Orange Democratic Movement's presidential nomination.

Odinga ultimately secured the party's ticket, and the symbolism of the pentagon at his final resting place now embodies the unity and strength that defined much of his political messaging. The pentagonal mausoleum serves as both a burial site and an architectural representation of elements central to Odinga's public life, symbolizing the connection between father and son in the architectural world.