Kenya Airways has announced additional flights to Kisumu this weekend in response to an unprecedented surge in passenger demand, as thousands of mourners prepare to travel to Nyanza for the final farewell of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga.
In a statement released Friday, October 17, the national carrier said the move was meant to ease travel congestion and ensure more Kenyans are able to attend the burial events scheduled across Kisumu and Siaya counties.
“We have increased our flight frequency to Kisumu over the weekend to accommodate the high travel demand,” the airline confirmed.
Raila Odinga, who passed away on October 15, will be laid to rest on Sunday at his father’s ancestral home in Kang’o, Jaramogi, after a state funeral service at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology.
Ahead of the burial, his body will lie in state on Saturday at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Mamboleo, Kisumu, where the public will have an opportunity to pay their final respects. Later that evening, the procession will proceed to Opoda Farm in Bondo for a night vigil marking the final stop in a week-long national farewell to the veteran leader.
