The leadership of Gor Mahia football club on Monday, June 1, visited the home of the late Raila Odinga. They arrived to present the club's historic 20th Kenya Premier League title to the Odinga family.

Raila, a towering figure in Kenyan politics, served as the club’s devoted patron until his death in October 2025.

During this emotional visit, Odinga’s long-serving bodyguard, Maurice Ogeta, broke his silence. He shared a first-hand account of the politician’s final moments in India.

His testimony challenges the widely held belief that the former Prime Minister passed away peacefully in his hospital bed.

A Final Morning Routine

Ogeta revealed that Odinga was not confined to a bed when he took his last breath. Instead, he was engaged in his usual morning physical routine. The two were at a villa in India, where Odinga was receiving medical treatment.

According to Ogeta, the exercise was light and familiar. They were walking around a small loop that measured approximately 50 metres. This was a practice they had performed many times before at home. Ogeta remained at his post, standing just one metre away from the patron as they moved.

" The patron died walking. He did not die on bed. It was so unfortunate, I was just one meter away from him as we normally do our morning exercises. And just as he was doing his normal exercise, he just stopped,” Ogeta recalled.

The Final Lap

Odinga had set a goal for that morning. He told Ogeta he wanted to complete five rounds of the 50-metre circuit. They had a casual discussion about the plan before they began.

The first round was completed without incident. However, as they began the second lap, things changed suddenly.

Odinga only managed to walk about a quarter of the way—roughly 12 metres into the second round—before he came to a halt.

Ogeta clarified that there was no dramatic fall or sudden collapse.

“Most people think he fell down or he collapsed, but he just decided to stop and the next thing, he said nothing.”

One Final Word

In the seconds that followed, the bodyguard sensed something was wrong. He approached his boss and asked if there was a problem or if he could offer any help.

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Odinga did not offer a long goodbye or a complex final message. He looked at his long-time aide and spoke just one syllable.

"The only word he said was 'aai'. And that was it."

A Legacy in Sport

The revelation adds a poignant layer to the story of a man who was often described as a "marathoner" in the political arena. For the Gor Mahia delegation, the news was particularly moving. Odinga had been the heartbeat of the club for decades, supporting them through 20 league titles.

While the public had largely assumed his end came while resting, Ogeta’s account suggests that Raila Odinga remained active until the very end. He died as he had lived: on the move, striving to complete one more lap.