Man Who Whipped Raila Odinga Apologizes
Lengo Karissa, the man who made headlines back in 2014 for striking the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga with a walking stick, has recently come forward to express his regret about that incident.
In an interview on Friday, October 17, he shared that he has long wanted to meet Raila and apologize face-to-face, but unfortunately, all his attempts have fallen short.
Now, Karissa is reaching out to Raila’s family, asking for their forgiveness and describing the late ODM leader as a patriotic figure who made significant contributions to Kenya’s democracy.
“I know he is now deceased, but I still ask for forgiveness. Raila was a great leader who should be emulated. Even to his family, they should not worry. They are also heroes,” he said.
The 2014 incident occurred during a public event in Kwale County, where Raila and then-Governor Salim Mvurya were dancing.
Karissa walked up to the two and gave them a whack with a walking stick before security quickly stepped in to apprehend her.
She was held for a short time and then arrested by the police, who took her to Kilifi County, where she faced charges for causing a disturbance and inflicting bodily harm.
Karissa was eventually released on a Ksh2,500 bond, but the case was dropped later on after Raila personally decided to forgive her.
Elsewhere, Captain Saviemaria Ondego, the pilot who commanded the Kenya Airways flight that brought Raila’s body home from India, shared an emotional account of the historic journey, describing it as a ‘surreal moment’.
Speaking about the experience, Captain Ondego revealed the emotional weight she carried as she prepared to address passengers aboard Flight KQ203, which switched its call sign to RAO001 upon entering Kenyan airspace as a tribute to the fallen leader.
“It really was a surreal moment. Every day is never a normal day at our job. And like any flight, we woke up to a roster,” Captain Ondego stated. “There was, however, a heaviness and a responsibility to our country that made it not a normal flight,” she added.
When the time came to make the traditional captain’s, Captain Ondego was overwhelmed by emotion.
“To be honest, I went to speak and nothing came out. I had to come off the speaker, take a deep breath, and then try again,” she recalled.
Man Who Whipped Raila Odinga Apologizes
