Kisumu residents mourn Fidel Odinga and demand probe

Kisumu City was Sunday engulfed in grief and mourning following the sudden death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's son, Fidel.

Led by Governor Jack Ranguma, the residents called on the Government to investigate the death.

Coming barely a month after the mysterious death of former Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang', the residents demanded more information on the death in a bid to restore public confidence in the police.

Mysterious deaths

"The incidence of mysterious deaths in the country is deafening. The Government must now tell Kenyans what next for their security," said Mr Ranguma.

He and his Migori counterpart Zachary Obado, called on Kisumu residents to stay calm during the mourning period.

"Fidel was still a young and energetic Kenyan whose demise is a loss, not only to the Odinga family, but to every Kenyan. As a county, we assure Odinga's family of spiritual support in this moment of mourning," said Obado.

The news of Fidel's death started filtering through the social media early yesterday.

At Kondele and Car Wash Estates, boda boda operators and hawkers held a procession along Migosi Road to mourn the man they termed a future leader.

Fidel's leadership ambitions had started to spark, with close allies hinting that he was eyeing the Kisumu Central Parliamentary seat.

Even though he had not declared his stand, residents had started whispering that Raila's son was best placed to clinch the seat in the 2017 General Election.

He had been a frequent figure in Kisumu for various missions, including looking after his businesses in town and handling issues regarding Kisumu Rugby Football Club.

"Fidel is a common figure here and he has been very useful to us residents given his generosity and freely mingling with the public," added Sara Atieno, a local resident.