The solemn mood at Raila Odinga’s state funeral turned electric when Bishop David Kodia of the Anglican Diocese of Bondo took to the pulpit and delivered a scathing sermon that left political leaders shifting uneasily in their seats.
Bishop Kodia, a close confidant of the Odinga family, used his sermon to condemn corruption and moral decay in government, declaring that Kenya must undergo a spiritual renewal if it is to honour Odinga’s legacy.
“If there is anyone here, be you a governor, an MP, or an MCA, who has looted this country, you stand condemned,” thundered the bishop, drawing loud cheers, whistles, and shouts of “Amen!” from the crowd.
His message was uncompromising and direct. He praised Odinga as a leader who never used money to intimidate or buy loyalty, contrasting him sharply with leaders who thrive on handouts and patronage.
“Baba Raila never used the power of his wallet to silence people. He led with his heart, not his pocket,” Kodia said.
The bishop recalled sharing a final breakfast with Odinga days before he travelled for treatment, describing him as a man “at peace with God and his nation.”
“He told me he had finished the race and was ready to rest. He had forgiven those who hurt him and prayed for Kenya’s unity,” Kodia said.
But the sermon quickly turned into a national reckoning. The bishop accused politicians of betraying the country’s founding values through greed and tribalism.
“When we proclaim the word, we should not be fearful. The word must transform us. We cannot continue looting hospitals and schools while pretending to mourn a righteous man,” he declared.
The crowd at Nyayo Stadium erupted, many rising to their feet, waving white handkerchiefs and shouting “Preach, Bishop!”
On social media, Kenyans praised the sermon as one of the most powerful moments of the funeral. Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria tweeted that Bishop Kodia had “spoken truth to power.”
The bishop’s boldness echoed Odinga’s lifelong message — that leadership must be accountable and anchored in moral conviction.
In his closing words, Kodia appealed for unity beyond tribe and region:
“Kenya is too small to be divided. Let us see ourselves first as Kenyans. That is what Baba lived for.”
As Raila Odinga’s casket left the stadium, escorted by a military band and thousands of mourners, the bishop’s words lingered in the air — a moral challenge to the living, and a spiritual send-off to a man who defined Kenya’s conscience.
