One year after the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Kenyan musician and entrepreneur Esther Akoth, popularly known as Akothee, has shared a heartbreaking account of her aging father’s ongoing grief.
Mzee Joshua Owino Kokeyo, who has been battling dementia, was overwhelmed with emotion after hearing a news broadcast marking the first anniversary of his longtime friend’s passing.
A Painful Reminder on Television
The emotional episode unfolded when a caregiver turned on the television in their family home. A news segment began reporting on the first anniversary of Raila Odinga’s death.
Upon hearing the broadcast, Mzee Kokeyo wept openly as the initial shock of the loss returned to him.
He turned to his daughter in distress and asked to be taken directly to the burial site. “Akoth Awito, osiepna… Tera mondo adhi aike,” he said. Despite visiting the graveside at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi in Bondo last year, Mzee Kokeyo could not process that the burial had already taken place 12 months earlier.“How can I convince my dad that Raila was buried last year, and he witnessed his grave? I think we went to the graveside with him last year, but grief has its own way of bringing everything back as if it happened yesterday,” Akothee said.
Grief, Memory, and the Toyota Probox
The confusion extended beyond the funeral to memories of personal gifts. During his emotional moment, Mzee Kokeyo expressed deep gratitude to Raila Odinga, believing the former Prime Minister had purchased him his Toyota Probox car.
Akothee clarified that she bought her father the Toyota Probox in 2013 as a birthday gift. A year later, in 2014, she also purchased a Suzuki Escudo for her mother so that both parents possessed independent transport.
“Then he said he was so grateful to Hon. Raila for buying him his Probox. I sat there listening, remembering that I bought Dad that Probox in 2013 as his birthday gift,” she revealed.
Watching her father reach for a departed friend revived Akothee’s own grief for her grandfather, who passed away in 2017.“There is something so painful about watching someone you love reach for a friend who is no longer here.”
A Year of Loss and Memory Battle
The relationship between the Odinga family and Akothee’s family spans several decades. The veteran politician died on 15 October 2025 at the age of 80 while receiving medical treatment in India. He was laid to rest four days later, on 19 October 2025, in Bondo, Siaya County.
During the original mourning period in October 2025, Mzee Kokeyo repeatedly asked family members why Raila was not coming to visit or greet him. One year on, the television broadcast triggered the same wave of initial grief, demonstrating how cognitive decline can complicate the grieving process for families.
Key Milestones and Timeline Details
The family history involves several significant milestones over the past decade. Akothee purchased the Toyota Probox for her father in 2013 and the Suzuki Escudo for her mother in 2014. Her grandfather passed away in 2017.
Raila Odinga died on 15 October 2025 at age 80 and was buried on 19 October 2025. October 2026 marks exactly one year since his death.
