- Royal Media Services founder SK Macharia spoke at Raila Odinga's memorial service held at Migwena Grounds in Bondo, Siaya, on October 15
- Macharia recalled how he first encountered Jaramogi Oginga Odinga during a hospital visit with the late President Jomo Kenyatta in Kisumu
- Jaramogi entrusted Macharia with the care of his two sons, Oburu and Raila Odinga, a promise the media mogul says he honoured to the very end
One of Kenya's most powerful media barons delivered a deeply personal tribute at the first memorial service honouring the late Raila Odinga, held at Migwena Grounds in Bondo, Siaya on October 15, 2026.
Source: UGC
Royal Media Services founder and owner SK Macharia took to the podium at the event, broadcast live by NTV, to share a story spanning decades, one that connected him to the Odinga family long before Raila became a household name.
How SK Macharia met Jaramogi Oginga
Macharia opened by clarifying his relationship with the Odingas, describing himself not as a formal family member but as someone the family had long considered one of their own.
He traced his bond back to his working days in Kakamega, when he accompanied the late President Jomo Kenyatta to Kisumu Hospital.
"It is that time, for the first time, I met Jaramogi," Macharia told the mourners. "And I saw a man committed to this country."
That encounter would prove to be the beginning of a lifelong connection. Macharia went on to support Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in the 1992 multiparty elections, backing him even though Macharia himself hails from Murang'a, the same region as rival candidate Kenneth Matiba.
SK Macharia's promise he kept until the end
Macharia revealed that Jaramogi had personally introduced him to his two sons and made a direct request.
"Jaramogi told me he has two sons, Oburu Odinga and Raila Odinga, and are more dear than them in case he doesn't live long, I take care of them," Macharia recalled.
That charge, he said, shaped his relationship with both Oburu Odinga and Raila Odinga for the rest of their lives.
He told mourners he had never parted ways with either of them or their families, staying close through the highs and lows of Kenya's turbulent political journey.
The speech struck a chord at the solemn gathering, offering a rare window into the personal loyalties that ran alongside the late opposition leader's public legacy.
Watch SK Macharia's emotional tribute at Raila Odinga's memorial:
How did Macharia support Raila?
Earlier, Macharia shared deeply personal accounts of his decades-long bond with the Odinga family and his involvement with Raila.
He revealed that he had fully financed a helicopter, pilot, and all fuel costs to support Raila's political campaigns out of respect for a promise he made to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
Additionally, Macharia recounted his final phone conversation with Raila just two days before the leader's sudden passing in India.
Source: TUKO.co.ke