KAMPALA — Uganda will on Thursday, October 15, 2026, hold a commemorative ceremony to mark the first anniversary of the death of former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, with prayers and candle-lighting planned at All Saints Church in Kampala.
The event, to begin at 9:00 a.m., will be led by Capt. Mike Mukula, leader of the Pan-African Global Business Forum, and is expected to draw Ugandan government officials, Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda, Ababu Namwamba, and members of the East African community, including Kenyans, Tanzanians, Rwandans, Burundians, Congolese, South Sudanese and Somalis.
Organisers say the ceremony will celebrate Odinga’s legacy and his contribution to African unity, while renewing calls for regional integration and cooperation among East African countries.
Mukula described the late Odinga as a strong advocate of Pan-Africanism, East African political integration and the proposed African federation, noting that his influence extended beyond Kenya to the wider continent.
“He believed in a united Africa and stronger regional cooperation,” Mukula said, adding that Odinga’s political journey reflected a commitment to democratic participation and continental leadership.
Mukula also recalled his personal friendship with the former Kenyan Prime Minister, revealing that Odinga had visited him several times at his home in Soroti and maintained close ties with Uganda.
He noted that Odinga’s burial attracted widespread attention and emotional tributes across Kenya, East Africa and other parts of Africa, demonstrating the impact he had on people across the continent.
The commemoration comes as the region continues to pursue stronger economic and political ties through the East African Community — a vision Mukula says remains central to the late Odinga’s Pan-African ideals.
Mukula called on the media and the public to support the ceremony, arguing that Africa should continue celebrating its influential leaders long after their passing.
He cited historical African leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah and Gamal Abdel Nasser as examples of personalities whose contributions continue to inspire generations across the continent.
The first-anniversary prayers are expected to double as a platform for renewed appeals for African unity, regional integration and cooperation among East African countries.
