Raila, Nyong’o eulogize Luo Council of Elders chairman Mzee Opiyo Otondi
Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya Coalition leader, Raila Odinga has led Luo leaders in eulogising Mzee Willis Opiyo Otondi, who until his death was the Chairman of the Luo Council of Elders.
In his message of condolences, Mr Odinga has termed Mzee Otondi’s death as a great loss for the Luo nation.
“Kenya has lost a distinguished member of society. Ker Willis Otondi’s passing has left us with a heavy heart; it is a great loss for the wider Luo nation… Sad for the Luo nation to lose him at this moment,” Mr Odinga said.
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Kisumu governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o on his part has eulogised Mzee Otondi as an insightful and great defender of the community.
In his message of condolences, the the second-term governor also said described Mzee Otondi as a family patriarch and a peace ambassador.
“Besides being a family patriarch and a peace ambassador, Ker Otondi will be remembered for his political wisdom and rare negotiation skills that helped the community to build bridges with other regions in the country,” Prof Nyong’o said.
Condolence message to the family of Mzee Opiyo Otondi. pic.twitter.com/lGQk9LVcCh
— Gov. Anyang' Nyong'o (@AnyangNyongo) February 17, 2023
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Mzee Otondi, who passed on at the age of 98, was the longest-serving chair of the Luo Council of Elders.
Although the exact cause of his death remains unclear, Mzee Otondi suffered from a long-term illness and had been admitted to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu County.
At the same time, Mzee Otondi’s grandson, TV personality Willis Raburu, while sharing the news of the death said, Mzee Otondi died less than 24 hours after they spoke.
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“This one hits differently and hurts! My grandfather, he whom I am named after, Ker Willis Opiyo Otondi! How can it be that yesterday we were talking and today you are no more?” Raburu wrote on his Instagram account.
Raburu remembered the deceased as a strict yet gentle leader both at home and at the community level.
“I remember how you used to joke and tell me ‘Don’t play around with my name,’ always the well-spoken, always speaking your mind. Always strict, yet gentle. An infectious laugh and smile… You cared for us all and wanted to be involved in our lives,” Raburu wrote about Mzee Otondi.