Covering Raila Odinga’s final journey: Inside the newsroom during a national moment of grief and Stephen Letoo experience

The sudden death of former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga in mid-October sent shockwaves across Kenya, plunging the nation into deep mourning and disbelief.

 
For millions of Kenyans, Raila was not just a political figure but a symbol of resistance, reform and resilience whose influence spanned generations.

Inside the Royal Media Services newsroom, the news landed like a thunderbolt.

Editors and reporters were forced into instant motion, abandoning routine programming to focus on what quickly became one of the most consequential stories of the year.

Decisions had to be made within minutes, deployment plans drawn up, and teams mobilised to different parts of the country and beyond.

Citizen TV senior reporter Stephen Letoo recalls the moment the confirmation came through: Raila Odinga had died while undergoing treatment in India.

At first, there was disbelief, followed by a heavy silence that swept through the newsroom. The scale of the story was immediately clear, and preparations began for nationwide and international coverage.

Initial plans pointed to Kisumu and Bondo, Raila’s political and family strongholds. Within hours, colleagues were already on the ground in Nyanza as Kenyans gathered in shock, mourning a man many regarded as the conscience of the nation.

Social media erupted with tributes, memories and emotional messages reflecting Raila’s towering role in Kenya’s political history.

Then came the call that changed everything. Letoo was instructed to grab his passport and head straight to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

He would be part of a small media team travelling with a government delegation to India to cover the repatriation of Raila Odinga’s body.

The journey to Mumbai was marked by an unusual, almost unbearable silence. Cabinet secretaries, senior officials and journalists sat quietly, each processing the weight of the moment.

Conversations were few, meals untouched, and faces drained. Grief hung heavily inside the aircraft, a reflection of the mood gripping the country back home.

Upon landing in India, the reality became painfully clear. Raila Odinga would not be returning home as a statesman or political icon, but as a fallen son of the soil.

His body had been delivered to the airport under tight security, with Indian authorities and Kenyan officials coordinating the solemn process.

One of the most emotional scenes unfolded at the VIP section of the airport. Raila’s long-serving bodyguard broke down upon seeing the casket, overcome by grief.

Family members stood nearby, visibly shaken, clinging to one another as they confronted an unimaginable loss. 

It was a deeply human moment that stripped away titles and politics, leaving only raw sorrow.

Time was short. The body was prepared swiftly, wrapped in the Kenyan flag by senior government officials, and loaded onto the waiting aircraft.

The plane barely cooled its engines before beginning the return journey to Nairobi.

The flight back was even heavier than the one to India. 

Beneath the cabin lay Raila Odinga’s body, a thought that left many on board struggling to contain their emotions.

Journalists continued to work, delivering live updates even as exhaustion and grief took their toll.

As the plane descended into Nairobi, scenes of national mourning came into view. 

Thousands of Kenyans had gathered at JKIA, overwhelming airport security in a spontaneous show of love and respect. It was a powerful reminder of Raila’s deep connection with ordinary citizens.

For Letoo and his colleagues, there was little rest. The coverage would continue in Kisumu and later Bondo, where Raila would be laid to rest. Sleep came only briefly, stolen between deployments.