The funeral, held at Lumakanda Primary School and his residence, drew hundreds of mourners, including his 22 children and four widely recognized spouses.

Mourners gathered at his Lumakanda home in Kakamega County, including dignitaries and former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who received cheers upon arrival, a sign of respect across political lines.

Jirongo’s widely recognised spouses, Christine Nyokabi Kimani, Anne Kanini, Anne Lanoi Pertet, and Joan Chemutai Kimeto, the latter of whom he later divorced, delivered emotional tributes highlighting his equitable treatment of them all.

During the service, one of his wives, Anne Lanoi, highlighted Jirongo’s fairness and generosity toward his family in their 53-year journey together.

Dressed in traditional mourning attire with a black hat, short veil, and lace dress, she captivated the crowd with memories that painted a man both powerful and deeply human.

“My name is Anne Lanoi,” she began, her voice steady but tinged with emotion.

“I met Cyrus 35 years ago. I was 21, he was 29. What attracted me most to him was his big heart. I could not stop just wanting to be next to him. He was so kind, generous, compassionate,” Lanoi said.

She painted a vivid portrait of a man whose generosity sometimes left him with “nothing,” but never deterred his instinct to give.

“He never wanted to see anyone in trouble or difficulty. He would give and give, and then he had nothing, sometimes to the detriment of his family, but we understood him.”

Jirongo’s devotion extended to his children and extended family.

“To his children, he was their protector. If he wanted to cross his path, just do something for his children. And to his siblings, he looked at them like his children. He took over their responsibilities, educated their children, and even took some abroad. He loved them dearly, and I know they’re treasured.”

The home the couple shared was often filled with political friends, business partners, and community members.

“Every lunchtime, my house was full. It reached a point some people would confuse it for a restaurant. But it wasn’t. People came because Cyrus was generous. That was the man he was. He would tell everybody, ‘Tuende nyumbani, tukule ugali,’ and so many of them can attest to that.”

Anne admitted that the loss is deeply personal.

“I will miss Cyrus dearly. He picked my phone at the first ring. Today, I don’t know who I’ll call. And today I know he’s never coming back. But I look up to God and hope everything will be okay. It’s a heavy day for me, for the family, but we will carry on. He loved us, and his legacy lives in us.”

She extended heartfelt thanks to friends and family who supported her in the wake of Cyrus’s passing.

“A special thank you to the three brothers former Senator George Khaniri, Philip Kisia, and Fred,who woke up at 3 a.m. and followed me to Naivasha alongside their spouses when I was told Cyrus had an accident. God bless you.”

Lanoi also thanked the broader community.

“We thank the president and the government. We thank everybody in a big way, because without you, we would not have made it this far. Thank you for your messages, calls, financial and moral support.”

Cyrus Jirongo’s life, as recalled by Anne Lanoi, was one of unyielding generosity, love, and loyalty, a legacy that will be remembered by family, friends, and the countless lives he touched.

The funeral blended tradition with political legacy, featuring Abaluhya cultural rituals, dances, dirges, and ceremonies, interspersed with reflections on Jirongo’s political journey, from YK’92 activism to wealth-building ventures and sports patronage, particularly of AFC Leopards.

Rainy skies mirrored the somber mood, yet anecdotes of his generosity, from supporting rural communities to welcoming friends and political allies into his home, brought laughter and warmth.

Jirongo’s wife Lanoi concluded her tribute with emotion: “He picked my phone at the first ring. Today, I don’t know who I’ll call. He’s never coming back. But his legacy lives in us, and we will carry on.”

Jirongo’s flag-draped casket was received with solemn emotion at Lumakanda Primary School and his residence.

His 22 children and extended family attended, with requiem masses held earlier at CITAM Valley Road and in Kitale.

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In a detailed clarification, his son Jaoko Oburu explained that the decision for Oburu to travel was a collective family push, not a medical emergency, amid swirling rumours on social media suggesting otherwise.

“It’s been a beehive of activity for the family, and especially now, our leader, the Honorable Dr. Oburu Oginga,” Jaoko said in a video message shared online.

“We’ve had functions all over the place to condole with our people, the population of wananchi, for Baba, in Homa Bay, in Migori, and everywhere. And we also had ODM at 20.”

Since Raila’s death in October, Oburu has carried enormous political and family responsibilities, overseeing funeral arrangements, meeting supporters across the country, and later presiding over the ODM @20 celebrations, where he was formally unveiled as party leader.

Jaoko said that in the rush to manage national mourning and party affairs, the family realised Oburu had barely had time to process his own grief.

“We realized that the party leader had not even had a minute to mourn his own brother,” he explained.

“Therefore, as a family, we really insisted that he needed a break, which we made sure that last week, on Thursday, he took this break and went to Dubai. He didn’t want to go very far.”

He stressed that Oburu’s trip was not driven by a health scare.

“Hakuenda na shida yoyote,” Jaoko assured supporters. “We took mzee to go and rest. We forced him… we forced him that he has to take a break.”

According to the family, the ODM leader is expected back in the country after a short stay.

“He’s there, he’ll be back tomorrow,” Jaoko said, adding that the brief time away was meant to allow him to recollect, recharge, and reset” after weeks of intense political and emotional pressure.

However, even as Oburu takes time off, the family has been struck by yet another loss.

“Unfortunately, again, we’ve had another loss in the family,” Jaoko revealed.

“We have our aunt, our beloved aunt, who is the fifth born in my father’s family. She’s known as Beryl Achieng Odinga. We lost her yesterday, in the early afternoon.”

The double strain of national expectations and private grief has put the Odinga family under intense public scrutiny, with Oburu’s every move analysed for political meaning.

Some online commentators had speculated that his Dubai trip was prompted by serious illness or internal ODM power struggles.

But the family has been categorical that the ODM boss is well and will return to continue leading the party.

An earlier statement from his sister Ruth Odinga also framed the trip as a normal, necessary pause:

“ODM Party Leader Oburu Oginga has travelled to Dubai for a three-day visit to rest following a hectic political period,” Ruth said, noting his non-stop schedule since Raila’s death and the ODM anniversary event.

On social media, an X post linked to Oburu’s camp echoed the same message of reassurance: “Feeling grateful for good health and high spirits. Taking a short sabbatical to recollect, recharge, and reset.”

As debates over ODM’s future and succession politics continue, the Oburu family is urging Kenyans to see this moment not as a crisis, but as a human pause.

For them, the short getaway is less about strategy and more about allowing “mzee” a rare moment of rest, and space to mourn a brother who was also the political giant at the centre of their lives.

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