Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka sparked controversy at Beryl Odinga’s funeral in Bondo, Siaya County on Saturday by claiming that former Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla was assassinated rather than killed in an accident.
Speaking before mourners at the burial of Raila Odinga’s sister, Kalonzo directly challenged official investigations into Ogolla’s death. “As a country we must face the hard questions.
This region has lost too many great voices in ways that cannot be ignored. Gen Ogolla did not fall to an accident. He was taken out,” the former vice president declared.
Kalonzo suggested a pattern of suspicious deaths among prominent leaders from western Kenya and called for fearless truth-seeking.
“We owe it to our people to seek the truth and to speak it without fear. And through it all, we will be led by The Raila Vision. We must not betray what our brother lived for,” he added.
General Ogolla died on April 18, 2024, when his military helicopter crashed in Elgeyo Marakwet County, killing him and nine other military personnel. Official investigations attributed the crash to engine malfunction and complete power loss after takeoff.
Opposition figures have persistently questioned these findings, suggesting political motivations behind Ogolla’s death. They reference his deployment to Bomas of Kenya during the 2022 election vote tallying as possibly triggering threats against him.
The funeral ceremony itself was marked by disruptions from rowdy youth, requiring Ida Odinga’s intervention to restore order.
The burial location also generated controversy, as the family chose to inter Beryl at her father’s Kang’o Ka Jaramogi homestead, breaking Luo customs requiring married women’s burial at matrimonial homes.
Beryl Odinga, 78, died on November 25 after prolonged illness. She had worked as a teacher and served as the first black Town Clerk of Mutare in Zimbabwe.
