Businessman Raila Junior is prayed for during a Church service at Cathedral of Praise Ministries International Church at Imara Daima in Nairobi on May 24, 2026.

📋 Breaking It Down

In President William Ruto’s five-day tour of Luo Nyanza, one familiar face kept appearing close to the centre of power, and it was impossible to miss: Raila Kembo Odinga Junior.

Donning his late father Raila Odinga’s signature Kaunda suit and Panama hat, Junior was never far from the President’s side. He was there to receive Dr Ruto, launch projects and move with him from one rally stop to another across the region.

His presence quickly became a talking point in a tour laden with politics, symbolism and the delicate arithmetic of the post-Raila era.

📌 What You Need to Know

On Sunday, Junior joined other leaders at the Voice of Salvation and Healing Church in Kisumu, where he received a warm welcome from an ecstatic congregation gathered to hear the President.

The following day, he was seated among leaders at a closed-door engagement between the Head of State and grassroots representatives drawn from Nyanza’s four counties.

But it was at the political rally that Junior stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

As elected leaders and Cabinet Secretaries took turns addressing the crowd, Junior was given an unusual platform.

National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed welcomed him onto the stage, where he was joined by his aunt, Tabu Osewe Odinga, the West Sakwa MCA. Together, they danced as the emotional strains of Raila Come Home reverberated through the crowd.

Before delivering his speech, Junior raised the familiar battle cry — “Jowi” — a chant his father famously used to stir political crowds.

📰 Source: Nation Africa