Raila Odinga Junior, son of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has announced plans to restore his father’s iconic Hummer SUV, a vehicle that became a symbol of political power during the 2007 election campaign.
“My intention is to restore and take it to the museum at Kango Ka Jaramogi,” Raila Junior told journalists, referring to the family mausoleum where his father was laid to rest.
The Odinga family aims to transform the red Hummer, once a head-turning campaign vehicle, into a historical artifact that preserves a tangible piece of Kenya’s political memory. The vehicle was gifted to Raila Odinga by benefactors supporting his presidential bid, notably Don Bosco Gichana.
The SUV quickly became a political spectacle. Supporters chanted “Hummer! Hummer! Hummer!” as Raila Odinga rode through rallies, projecting an image of strength and influence that resonated nationwide. Over time, the Hummer transcended its role as a vehicle and evolved into a political brand, with the nickname “Hammer” (Nyundo) symbolizing Odinga’s power and appeal.
After the 2007 election and the ensuing crisis, the vehicle gradually disappeared from public view, making only a brief appearance in 2008.
Raila Junior’s restoration plans have drawn praise from longtime Odinga aide Silas Jakakimba, who revealed he was among the first to see the vehicle before it became a campaign icon.
“One of the unknown stories about this hammer machine is that I was the first to lay my eyes on it,” Jakakimba recalled. He described meeting Don Bosco Gichana and immediately recognizing the car’s potential impact on Raila Odinga’s campaign.
“I told him, ‘Ndugu, I have a feeling this car has the uniqueness we’d covet for Jakom’s campaign appearances.’ He responded, ‘Do you think Mzee would like it too?’ I replied, ‘If I tell you we’d covet its impact in the terrains, rest assured PM would be aligned,’” Jakakimba narrated.
Bosco later donated the vehicle to the campaign, which Jakakimba notes “won the presidential vote by majority.”
Jakakimba applauded Raila Odinga Junior’s move, calling it “a timely and befitting” decision. He added that placing the car at the Jaramogi Museum would safeguard a significant chapter of Raila Odinga’s political journey and his efforts “to transform and turn around the governance architecture of the Republic of Kenya.”
The post Raila Junior to Restore Late Father’s Iconic ‘Hummer’ SUV for Family Mausoleum appeared first on Nairobi Wire.
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