For decades, Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga was rarely seen without a hat — a personal trademark that became part of his unmistakable image.
Whether it was a Nigerian-style Yoruba fila gobi, a Kangol cap, or a simple baseball cap, Raila’s choice of headgear often reflected both his charisma and quiet confidence.
But in recent years, one particular hat stood out — a stylish cream fedora with a black strip — the same one he wore as he departed Kenya for India to seek treatment.
When news of his passing broke, a wave of emotion swept across the nation.
Among the many images shared online, one photograph quickly captured the collective grief of Kenyans: his daughter, Winnie Odinga, gently placing the cream fedora on top of his casket, beside a bed of flowers.
Taken as the body was being prepared for transport back home, the image became a deeply moving symbol of love, loss, and legacy.
Earlier, while Raila’s body lay in Mumbai, India, the same hat had already drawn attention when it was photographed resting quietly on a beige airport lounge seat — a haunting, almost poetic image that went viral, embodying absence and farewell.
But the most emotional moment came when Raila’s remains arrived in Nairobi aboard flight KQ203, christened RAO001 in his honour.
As the aircraft door opened, Winnie was the first to step out — her face solemn, her expression composed.
Dressed in jungle-green pants, a white shirt, and a matching half-coat, she held her father’s fedora carefully in both hands, walking slowly toward government officials, family, and waiting mourners.
The hat — once a lively fixture atop Raila’s head at rallies and national events — now rested still in her hands, heavy with symbolism.
It represented not just a personal belonging, but an era of courage, leadership, and devotion to country — a life’s work that had come full circle.
Inside the VVIP lounge at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), the grief deepened into an intimate family moment.
Winnie knelt before her mother, Mama Ida Odinga, and tenderly handed her the white fedora.
Dressed in a black skirt suit, matching hat, white blouse, and striped scarf, Mama Ida received it with grace that barely concealed her heartbreak.
In an image later shared by State House, the two women locked eyes — a moment of silent understanding between mother and daughter.
The fedora sat between them, no longer just an accessory, but a symbol of Raila Odinga’s enduring spirit — of a leader who, even in death, continued to unite, inspire, and move a nation.
Raila, 80, died of cardiac arrest while receiving treatment in India, medical officials at Devamatha Hospital in Kerala confirmed.
According to the hospital, he collapsed during a morning walk at the Ayurvedic wellness centre where he had been recuperating.
The former Prime Minister will be accorded a state burial at his Opoda farm in Bondo, Siaya County. He leaves behind his loving wife Idah Odinga and three children.
