Long before it became the stage for one of Kenya’s most anticipated political and cultural gatherings, Migwena was a meeting place where young men and women sought love, neighbouring communities settled differences through sport, and a chance encounter between a young athlete and a towering nationalist helped shape the history of the Odinga family.
It was here, on the expansive grounds in Bondo, Siaya County, that Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first Vice President, is said to have first set eyes on Mary Odima, the athletic young woman who would become his wife and the mother of his children, among them Raila Odinga and Dr Oburu Oginga.
Now, more than eight decades after their romance began, Migwena is preparing to welcome thousands of mourners, political leaders, cultural enthusiasts and admirers of the former Prime Minister for the first anniversary of his death on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
The choice of venue is no mere matter of convenience. For the Odinga family and the people of Sakwa, Migwena is a place where personal memories, community history and cultural identity intertwine. It is a return to the ground where a family’s story took shape and where the past continues to speak to the present.
As the country prepares to gather in honour of Odinga, the question of why the main commemoration is being held in Migwena, rather than in Kisumu or Nairobi, finds its answer in the rich stories found in the soil of this historic ground.
For the Odinga family, the journey to Migwena is, in many ways, a journey home.
Raila Odinga’s widow, Ida Odinga and Siaya Governor James Orengo inspect Migwena grounds in Bondo, where the main anniversary event to commemorate Raila will be held on October 15, 2026.
Photo credit: Rushdie Oudia| Nation Media Group
Spread across approximately 32 acres in South Sakwa Ward, Bondo sub-County, Migwena is a sprawling public ground partly owned by the community and the Siaya County Government.
The grounds lie in a relatively low-lying area that slopes gently southwards. To the west stands a hill known as Got Abiero, while Wagusu lies to the north and the Bondo-Misori Road runs to the east.
The grounds, where the annual Migwena Sports and Cultural Festival is traditionally held, trace their fame to events that began decades ago. Among the stories that have endured is that of how Jaramogi first spotted a young woman who was winning athletics races during a community sports day.
Former Azimio Leader Raila Odinga and Siaya Governor James Orengo have a light moment while watching a football match at the Migwena Community Sports and Cultural Festival 2023 held on Saturday, December 30, 2023.
Photo credit: File| Nation Media Group
That woman was Mary Odima, who would become Mama Mary Odinga, Raila Odinga’s mother.
As the young athlete raced through the 100-metre contests, her prowess reportedly captivated the man who would later become one of Kenya’s most consequential political figures.
According to Akelo Gwela, the chairman of the anniversary Home Committee, Jaramogi watched Mary compete, fell for her, and the rest became history.
“His eye caught the young girl from Alego. Jaramogi immediately sent emissaries to the vibrant athlete, and that is how he got Raila and Oburu’s mother,” says Mzee Gwela.
The couple was officially married on January 23, 1943, at Maseno School, followed by a celebratory traditional reception in Sakwa.
Nine months later, on October 15, 1943, Mary gave birth to their first child, Dr Oburu Oginga, who would later be followed by his prominent younger brother, the late Raila Odinga.
Mr Gwela says the grounds have been in use since the early 1930s, initially hosting wrestling tournaments and ajua games before evolving into a fully fledged cultural platform in the 1960s.
Over the years, the events have helped foster peace among neighbouring communities.
Mr Gwela recalls that, before Migwena became a recognised sporting venue, residents had to travel long distances to Kisumu Sports Ground to participate in sporting activities. The then Chief Elijah Bonyo later set out to find a suitable place where sports and cultural festivals could be held closer to home.
“The events would kick off on December 30 and climax on January 1. Participants came all the way from Alego, Ugenya, Gem, Asembo, Uyoma and Yimbo. Young men would come scouting for women and vice versa, and that is how Jaramogi got fortunate,” says Mr Gwela.
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (left), his wife Mary and their son Oburu Oginga at their Kileleshwa home in Nairobi.
He says Migwena remains a focal point for major gatherings across the greater Siaya region. Security has since improved with a perimeter wall and multiple entry points making it easier to manage crowds.
For Mr Gwela, the grounds are continuing to make history.
“It will now go down as the first place to have hosted the anniversary of Raila, one of the great sons of Bondo and the world,” he says.
However, after the inaugural county government was established in 2013, the annual celebrations gradually faded.
For the community of Sakwa and the wider Siaya County, Migwena remains hallowed ground.
The decision by the anniversary committee, the Siaya County Government and the Odinga family to hold the October 15 remembrance there is therefore deeply symbolic: a return to the place where the Odinga family’s story began.
Prof Adams Oloo, chairman of the National Steering Committee for the anniversary celebrations, told the Daily Nation that the choice was both strategic and symbolic, given the venue’s history of hosting national events and cultural activities that were close to Odinga’s heart.
“This is historically a sports venue which is usually busy at the end of December and early January. People from across Nyanza used to converge here, and it is where Jaramogi spotted Mary Odima, who later bore Raila, whom we are celebrating today,” said Prof Oloo.
He added that Migwena also hosted the Piny Luo Festival, which was attended by President William Ruto and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni.
Preparations at Migwena Cultural Grounds in Bondo ahead of the memorial anniversary of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga on October 14, 2026.
Photo credit: Rushdie Oudia| Nation Media Group
Olara Otunnu, a distinguished Ugandan diplomat, lawyer and politician who is a high-profile candidate for the position of United Nations Secretary-General to succeed António Guterres, also attended the festival.
Prof Oloo said Mr Otunnu delivered a powerful presentation on the Luo community during the event and had been expected to attend Raila’s anniversary.
“Otunnu was supposed to attend this occasion, but he will not make it because he will be unveiled on October 16,” said Prof Oloo.
Family members, community representatives, political leaders, invited guests and members of the public are expected to gather in the thousands to mark one year since Baba’s death.
“It will be a celebration worthy of the man. Musicians from across the country and beyond will take to the stage to honour him in song, because Raila Odinga loved the people, and the people loved him back,” said Prof Oloo.
Migwena will thus become a place of collective remembrance, offering Kenyans an opportunity to retrace the journey of a man whose life and politics left an enduring imprint on the country.
For residents, the festival has long offered an opportunity to meet prospective spouses, drawing crowds from across the expansive Siaya District as it was known in the past.
Preparations at Migwena Cultural Grounds in Bondo ahead of the memorial anniversary of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga on October 14, 2026.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation edia Group
But before it became a sporting facility, the grounds were reportedly a site of conflict among neighbouring communities, particularly Uyoma, Asembo and Sakwa.
Over time, however, the venue was transformed into a shared space for festivities and placed under the leadership of Luo elders.
When Odinga attended the Migwena festivals in 2024, the grounds brought back memories of his childhood.
After flagging off a boat race and watching traditional wrestling, he reminisced about his younger days, recalling a fistfight in which he claimed to have wrestled another boy to the ground.
For Siaya Governor James Orengo, the grounds are sacred. They reflect the community’s identity, showcase its rich cultural heritage and provide a platform for nurturing local talent.
“Holding this celebration here is continuing with Raila’s legacy of upholding our culture and sports, which were close to his heart. Sports can serve as a powerful vehicle for social change. Through this, we can advocate for inclusivity, gender equality and the empowerment of the differently abled,” said Mr Orengo.
But Migwena also carries a darker legend, preserved in the memories of some elderly residents. They believe it was here that Jaramogi had a premonition of his own death.
The opposition doyen returned to Migwena on January 1, 1994, to watch sporting activities. Despite the myths surrounding his supposed immortality and claims that he could transform into other creatures at will, he is said to have addressed the gathering in Dholuo that day, declaring: “Anbe an ana dhano”, loosely translated as, “I am also human”.
His words left many wondering what he meant. When he died 19 days later, some interpreted the statement as a premonition, saying he had acknowledged that, like everyone else, he was mortal.
Migwena is now expected to host high-profile guests, with President William Ruto, former President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leaders, including Linda Mwananchi’s Edwin Sifuna and James Orengo, potentially sharing a podium.
Beyond the speeches, songs and solemn tributes, the gathering will also test the enduring spirit of a community whose history is deeply intertwined with the ground on which it meets.
By 4.23pm on Wednesday, tents were still being erected and final touches were being made to the washrooms within the grounds. The main dais was yet to be set up, with the crew racing against a 6pm deadline.
Preparations at Migwena Cultural Grounds in Bondo ahead of the memorial anniversary of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga on October 14, 2026.
Photo credit: Rushdie Oudia| Nation Media Group
“We have consulted the Home Boyz team, who have assured us that by 6pm, the work will be done and everything will be set. We shall be having candle lighting at Kang’o ka Jaramogi on Wednesday evening, where we want the whole country to join us wherever they are in honouring Baba,” said Mr Otiende Amollo, Rarieda Member of Parliament and vice-chairman of the National Steering Committee for the anniversary celebrations.
However, some workers said they would have to work through the night to complete the preparations in time.
There were still no clear indications that President William Ruto would attend the anniversary, with Siaya Governor James Orengo taking charge of the preparations.
Mr Amollo, meanwhile, warned politicians against turning the occasion into a political contest.
“While tomorrow is the day of remembering perhaps Kenya’s foremost politician, tomorrow is not the day of politics. It is not a day for politicians to show their popularity or otherwise. The family insists it is a day of remembering Raila,” said Mr Amollo.
