Viral Video Shows Kenyan Broad-Based Leaders Aboard Private Jet Two Days After Raila Odinga Memorial
Why It MattersPrivate-jet travel by Kenyan political figures draws public scrutiny over elite mobility, a visibility risk for business aviation in a market where charter use by officials is politically sensitive.
A video showing leaders of Kenya's broad-based government laughing and mingling inside a private jet has gone viral on X and TikTok after Winnie Odinga reposted it on her Instagram Story. The clip was filmed following President William Ruto's rally in Eldoret on Saturday, 17 October 2026, and surfaced two days after the first anniversary of the death of former opposition leader Raila Odinga. The group represents the core of the alliance between Ruto's UDA and Raila's ODM, which has governed together since 2023.
On 15 October, mourners gathered at Migwena Grounds in Bondo to mark one year since Raila died in India. Broad-based ODM figures were largely absent: Gladys Wanga was in Dubai for the RISE Summit 2026, while Joho, Junet and others did not attend, and the Odinga family noted that no official invitations had been sent to them. ODM figures who attended in numbers, including Edwin Sifuna, Babu Owino, James Orengo and Otiende Amollo, are identified with the rival Linda Mwananchi faction opposed to the Ruto alliance. Five people were arrested after stones were thrown at the VIP tent during the memorial.
Reposting the jet video, Winnie Odinga wrote a sarcastic message about ODM officials celebrating her father's first memorial, referring to 'gifts' received while they were in Dubai, which was widely read as a reference to the stone-throwing incident. Social media users and lawyer Ndegwa Njiru criticised the contrast between the jet scene and Kenyans struggling with hunger and high taxes. Wanga has publicly backed Joho for the Deputy President slot in 2027.
