Raila Odinga’s life was never short of controversy, even within the church. During his funeral service held at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology grounds, Bishop David Kodia of the Anglican Diocese of Bondo shared a striking story about how the late ODM leader was once denied baptism by a white priest.
According to Bishop Kodia, the priest refused to baptize Raila because he did not have an English name, which was a common expectation during the colonial and missionary era. At the time, African converts were often required to adopt English or biblical names to be fully accepted into the Christian faith.
“Raila Odinga was a faithful member of this diocese and St. Peter’s Parish, Nyamira,” said Bishop Kodia. “It is a great loss for St. Peter’s Church because of the enormous presence of the Raila family. It is now a ‘minus one’.”
The Bishop recounted that Raila was eventually baptized after the intervention of the Archbishop of Canterbury. His confirmation, which took several years, happened when he personally visited the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. That event paved the way for Raila to receive Holy Communion for the first time at St. Peter’s, his home church in Nyamira.
Bishop Kodia affirmed that the Anglican Church of Kenya was giving Raila a full Christian burial, in recognition of his deep faith and long-standing commitment to the church. However, he noted that they could not hold a Holy Communion service during the state funeral due to time constraints and the nature of the event.
The bishop will also preside over the committal and benediction at the gravesite, marking the final farewell for one of Kenya’s most influential political figures and devoted members of the Anglican Church.
