The Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum in Bondo, Siaya County, has been closed to the public for three months to allow construction and renovation works at the historic site, the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) has announced.
In a public notice, NMK said the facility was closed on Monday, July 20, and will remain inaccessible to visitors until Friday, October 30. “The National Museums of Kenya wishes to inform the general public and all our esteemed visitors that the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum has been closed for construction works since Monday, 20th July, 2026 until Friday, 30th October, 2026,” the notice read. The agency apologised for the inconvenience and urged the public to avoid visiting the site during the closure.
The shutdown coincides with the start of construction on a separate mausoleum for the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, being built next to the existing Jaramogi structure at Kang’o ka Jaramogi, the Odinga family home where Jaramogi Oginga Odinga is buried. Work began on July 20 following the formal handover of the site by the Odinga family, with the Kenya Defence Forces carrying out construction.
The government has set aside Ksh30 million for the Raila Odinga Mausoleum project and the rehabilitation of the existing Jaramogi facility. Unlike the hexagonal Jaramogi Mausoleum built in 1995, the new Raila memorial will feature a pentagonal design symbolising strength, unity and collective purpose, and will include a research centre, library, digital archives and an amphitheatre.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya said the project reflects the government’s commitment to preserving the country’s historical memory. Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga has said the Raila Odinga Mausoleum is expected to be completed within two months, ahead of the anniversary of the former premier’s death this October.
The Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum, opened in 1995 by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, doubles as a museum documenting Jaramogi’s political journey and Kenya’s independence history, alongside Luo cultural artefacts and portraits of prominent African leaders. When it reopens, the site will house both the renovated Jaramogi mausoleum and the new memorial to his son, linking the two chapters of the Odinga family’s political legacy.
