{"id":123350,"date":"2025-10-19T08:10:23","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T08:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/10\/19\/railas-final-flight-home-kq-crews-emotional-in-flight-tribute\/"},"modified":"2025-10-19T08:10:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T08:10:23","slug":"railas-final-flight-home-kq-crews-emotional-in-flight-tribute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/railas-final-flight-home-kq-crews-emotional-in-flight-tribute\/","title":{"rendered":"Raila\u2019s final flight home: KQ crew\u2019s emotional in-flight tribute"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 19 \u2013 It was an emotional journey home for the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as Kenya Airways pilots and crew paid heartfelt tributes to the veteran leader during the repatriation of his remains from Mumbai, India.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Captain Saviemaria Ondego, who commanded the Nairobi-bound flight carrying Odinga\u2019s body, hailed the late statesman\u2019s lifelong commitment to peace and his enduring dedication to addressing Africa\u2019s challenges \u2014 including the growth of aviation across the continent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday we acknowledge a significant loss across Kenya and Africa. On behalf of the Kenya Airways family, we extend our deepest condolences on the passing of the Right Honorable Raila Odinga \u2014 a visionary leader and a passionate Pan-Africanist,\u201d said Captain Ondego during the flight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis influence transcends borders, inspiring many through his dedication to peace and our determination to address our continent\u2019s challenges,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.capitalfm.co.ke\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/image-22.png\"><\/a>Captain Saviemaria Ondego\/Kenya Airways <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">RAO001<\/h2>\n<p>In a rare and symbolic gesture, the national carrier changed the flight\u2019s call sign from KQ203 to RAO001 \u2014 a nod to Odinga\u2019s initials and towering legacy. The tribute drew global attention, with the aircraft becoming one of the most-tracked flights worldwide that day.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<\/div>\n<p>Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the plane received a ceremonial water-cannon salute, marking the emotional homecoming of a man many regard as one of Africa\u2019s most influential democratic figures. Thousands of mourners gathered near the airport to witness the solemn moment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.capitalfm.co.ke\/news\/2025\/10\/photo-story-kq-crew-that-flew-raila-odinga-home\/\">PHOTO STORY: KQ crew that flew Raila Odinga home \u00bb Capital News (capitalfm.co.ke)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The tributes extended far beyond the Mumbai flight.<\/p>\n<p>A day later, aboard a Kenya Airways flight from France to Nairobi, Captain Webster Otugha serenaded passengers with Odinga\u2019s favourite song, \u201cJamaica Farewell\u201d by Harry Belafonte \u2014 a touching nod to the late leader\u2019s memory.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThat was Raila Odinga\u2019s favourite song, and it captures the mood in the country. But even so, we wish you all a peaceful weekend full of joy,\u201d said Captain Otugha, as passengers listened in silence.<\/p>\n<p>Odinga, 80, passed away on Wednesday during a medical trip in India. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 19 \u2013 It was an emotional journey home for the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as Kenya Airways pilots and crew paid heartfelt tributes to the veteran leader during the repatriation of his remains from Mumbai, India. Captain Saviemaria Ondego, who commanded the Nairobi-bound flight carrying Odinga\u2019s body, hailed the late [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-123350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123350\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}