By Valentine Omondi
Maurice Ogeta, the longtime aide and bodyguard of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has opened up about the difficulty of adjusting to life without the man he served for 29 years, revealing that reminders of their daily routine still catch him off guard months after his death.
In an interview with the Daily Nation published on Sunday, October 11, 2026, Ogeta described how he sometimes reaches for his phone expecting a call from Raila, only to remember that the former Prime Minister is no longer alive.
“Funny enough, I still fail to register. It still bothers me because, as late as last Thursday, it still happens at times. I rush to my phone thinking he’s called and I missed it,” Ogeta said.
He added that he sometimes finds himself heading towards their former workplace before remembering that Raila is gone.
“Sometimes I start heading to work where we were and I remember, oh, why was I going there?” he said.
Ogeta’s account offers a personal glimpse into the loss experienced by someone whose working life had been closely intertwined with Raila’s for nearly three decades.
A Bond Built Over 29 Years
Ogeta’s relationship with Raila began in 1997, when a chance encounter at a health and fitness centre in Nairobi brought the two together.
What began as an encounter developed into a long professional relationship in which Ogeta served as Raila’s aide and bodyguard through different stages of his political career.
Reflecting on the length of their relationship, Ogeta said he had hesitated to speak publicly about his experiences but eventually decided to share some of his memories.
“I’m not very sure whether I’m ready even as of now to say everything. But I thought, and seeing how things are happening and questions from all over, I thought I should also try not to be so mean because mheshimiwa Raila Odinga was Kenyan property,” he said.
He added: “You can imagine 1997 to date is 29 years, then someone leaves you without notice.”
The remarks capture the abruptness with which Ogeta says his life changed following Raila’s death in India on October 15, 2025.
Political Songs and Daily Routines Bring Back Memories
Ogeta said ordinary routines and familiar sounds can bring back memories of his former employer.
He recalled that political songs and ringtones sometimes take him back to October 15, the day Raila died.
The recollections underline how the loss continues to surface in everyday moments, from the sound of a phone to the familiar journey to work.
For someone who spent much of his adult life working closely with Raila, the absence has meant adjusting to routines that once revolved around the former Prime Minister’s movements and responsibilities.
Ogeta’s reflections also show how the death of a prominent public figure affects people whose lives were connected to him beyond the political spotlight.
Ogeta Acknowledges Those Who Have Checked on Him
Ogeta said several Kenyans and friends he made while working for Raila have checked on him since the former Prime Minister’s death.
He singled out Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, saying he had not expected him to be among the people who would offer him support.
“For Governor Abdulswamad from Mombasa, he was the last person… even if somebody gave me a multiple-choice quiz, I would have gotten so many wrongs before deciding it was him (to give me a job), so I owe him a lot,” Ogeta said.
He added that many of the people who had checked on him came from the Coast and North Eastern regions.
His comments point to the personal relationships he built during his years serving Raila and the support he says he has received since losing his longtime employer.
Raila died in India on October 15, 2025, aged 80. His death ended a political career spanning decades and left behind family members, political allies, supporters and longtime aides adjusting to his absence.
For Ogeta, the loss remains personal. Nearly a year after Raila’s death, the familiar routines of a 29-year relationship sometimes return before the reality of his absence sets in.
