Maurice Ogeta: Raila’s bodyguard reveals politician who has stood by him since his boss’s death

• Maurice Ogeta, who served as Raila Odinga's bodyguard since 1997, opened up about life after the former prime minister died in India
• Ogeta revealed that a surprising politician from Mombasa has been the most consistent source of support during his period of grief
• The longtime aide admitted he is still unsure whether he is fully ready to share the full story, but hinted that a book is coming

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As Kenya approaches the first anniversary of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's death, the man who stood beside him for nearly three decades is finally beginning to speak.

Maurice Ogeta, who first met Raila at a Nairobi health and fitness centre in 1997, served as the politician's close aide and bodyguard through some of the most turbulent chapters of Kenya's political history.

For years, Ogeta used his own body as a shield during moments when the late ODM leader's life was under threat.

Politician Who Stepped Up for Ogeta

When asked who had checked on him most since Raila's passing in an interview by NTV Kenya, Ogeta said the answer surprised even him.

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"Kenyans have really, really checked on me, and friends I built relationships with while working for Raila," he said.

But one figure stood out above all others. Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Ahmed Nassir was the last person Ogeta expected to reach out, and yet he was the one who offered him employment.

"I was given multiple choices to guess. Maybe someone comes and says, 'You've been given a job by a certain governor. Can you guess who?'" Ogeta recalled. "I think I could have gotten so many wrong before getting it right that it was him. So I owe him a lot."

He declined to name those who had not called, but left a pointed note for the record: "The book is coming, so they are there."

A 29-Year Bond, Broken Without Notice

Ogeta has spent roughly a year wrestling with whether to speak publicly at all. He confirmed there were moments when he felt ready, followed by moments when he simply could not bring himself to revisit the grief.

"I'm not very sure whether I'm ready, even as of now, to say everything," he admitted. "But I thought, seeing how things are happening and having these questions coming from all quarters, that I should also try not to be so mean because Raila was a Kenyan's property."

The weight of their shared history is not lost on him. From 1997 until Raila's death in India, the two men were rarely far apart.

"You can imagine, from 1997 to date, how many years is that? Almost 29. Then someone leaves you without notice," he said.

Kenyans will mark the one-year anniversary of Raila Odinga's passing in just three days. For Ogeta, the day carries a grief that no public commemoration can fully capture.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

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