Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga has revealed why former President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga did not attend the funeral of Chief of defenses General Francis Omondi Ogolla.
Speaking during the funeral at senator Obama K’Ogello Primary School, Siaya County, Oburu said the former president was out of the country and therefore could not attend the burial.
“I am bringing condolences to former president Uhuru Kenyatta. He is abroad and has asked me to bring his condolences to the family,” he said.
Regarding his young brother, Raila, Oburu said the ODM leader was not independent and therefore sent him to represent him and Jaramongi Oginga Odinga’s extended family.
“I am also here to offer my condolences to my brother Raila who sent me here for unavoidable reason. He could not come personally to represent him,” he said.
Raila, however, attended a memorial service organized at Ulinzi Sports Complex on Saturday where he also passed his condolence message.
The two leaders were conspicuously absent during the funeral and caused consternation among Kenyans considering General Ogolla worked closely with them at some point in his career.
During the reign of Retired President Uhuru, General Ogolla was the Deputy Chief of Defense Forces.
Ogolla was buried on 21st Sunday 2024, three days after he lost his life in a plane crash in West Pokot.
President William Ruto is leading senior government officials in the deployment of CDF Ogolla who promoted him to become a four-star general and Chief of Defenses.
While explaining why he named Ogolla CDF, Ruto said he was convinced by his competence to appoint him to the post.
“I made a conscious decision that we will take a different course as a country where reputation, professionalism and competence must come before ethnicity, I decided that General Ogolla deserved to be the CDF,” he said.
Ruto said within a short period of time, Ogolla was the Chief of defense Forces, he made great changes.
“From where I sit and the information I get, General Ogolla brought about a great change in his leadership, the fact that he could reach all the actors, the synergy he build with the police and all other weapons were just on a different level,” he added.
