Appeasing the gods: Raila Odinga's 'shadow and spirit' released from Oparanya's home

Raila, who died in October 2025, had a special bedroom in Oparanya’s home where he regularly spent nights whenever he visited Western Kenya. [Benard Lusigi, Standard]

In many African communities, death does not necessarily sever the relationship between the living and those who have departed.

Among the Luhya and Luo communities, the deceased may continue to occupy a spiritual place within the family long after burial, with traditional rites performed to mark the final transition and allow the living to move on.