Stephen Letoo Recounts Painful Flight to India for Raila Odinga’s Body: “I Could Hardly Eat”

Senior TV journalist Stephen Letoo has shared a deeply emotional account of the moments following Raila Odinga’s death, describing the pain of flying to India to retrieve the late leader’s body. In an interview with KMB Media, Letoo revealed the immense emotional and professional toll of the assignment that left him struggling to cope with the reality of bringing Raila home lifeless.

What Happened on the Flight to India for Raila’s Body?

Letoo recalled being notified abruptly that he had to board a flight to India. “When I was told to take my passport and go to India in 45 minutes, I almost declined,” he said. The gravity of the situation hit him mid-flight as silence engulfed the cabin. “The flight was the longest of my life because of what was going through my mind. I could hardly eat. I imagined I would not bring Raila home alive, but dead. I wished I could go and find Raila sick in the hospital and not dead. Everybody on that flight looked shattered. People were sitting silently; one would think we didn’t know each other.”

The journalist described those hours as some of the hardest of his career. “It has been one of the worst three days of my life. It has been painful and professional. I never anticipated I would deliver.”

What Did Stephen Letoo Witness Upon Landing in India?

According to Letoo, the atmosphere in India was heavy with grief. “The first thing I saw was the coffin. The next person I saw was Ogeta, along with four gentlemen surrounding the coffin, as well as Indian military officers.” Ogeta turned to Letoo and said, “Mzee ametuacha, siamini.”

Letoo embraced Ogeta, urging him to stay strong. “The plane engine was not switched off. We prayed, draped the coffin in the Kenyan flag, and got straight back into the plane. It took around an hour and a half.”

He explained that the body was not prepared for public viewing. “The body was not prepared for viewing. It was just placed in the temporary casket for transportation back home.”

Letoo also recounted witnessing Winnie Odinga’s heartbreak, sharing, “The only thing left for her was the hat. He kept holding the hat; she would put it down for a second and pick it back up.”

Reflecting on the chaos at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, he admitted, “I knew if people were not locked out, they would shut down the airport. If not for the military, we would not have left there.”

Letoo believes Raila’s death has left an irreplaceable void in both journalism and politics. “As political journalists, there is nobody to give us the calibre of news that Raila did. For the political class, there are politicians elected either for hating or loving Raila. Those two types of politicians are jobless.”

He remembered Raila as a caring figure who often checked on his well-being and appreciated his work. “He was also always appreciative of the coverage I provided.”

By Risper Akinyi