English Premier League giants Arsenal FC have sent a special piece of memorabilia to honour the late Raila Amolo Odinga, who was an ardent fan of the club.
Receiving the memorabilia on behalf of the late former Prime Minister at his office in Nairobi, ODM Director of Communication Philip Etale said that he was very elated as an Arsenal fan to have received the special recognition on behalf of his former boss.
Memorabilia refers to any object collected for its connection to memorable people, events, or experiences, often carrying deep personal, historical, or sentimental value. Common examples include autographed sports jerseys, vintage film posters, concert tickets, yearbooks, and old photographs.
In this case, the former PM has been posthumously sent a photo mount of the EPL side’s game against Liverpool that was played on January 8, this year.
During the game, Arsenal was held to a tight goalless draw by the reigning champions from Merseyside in what was the first barren draw between the two sides in the Premier League since August 2015.
Nonetheless, the English team engraved a special tribute to the former opposition veteran and multiparty democracy champion, stating: “Arsenal remembers the Rt Honourable Raila Amollo Odinga.”
Etale revealed that he would personally deliver the memorabilia to the family of Raila, led by Mama Ida Odinga, who is Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi.
“This parcel I have just received today, and I think that it was sent in January and could have been delayed by the post office, which could have failed to notify our office,” Etale said.
“I will look for Mama Ida Odinga to give her the gift which was sent to our hero and party leader, Raila Odinga,” he added while thanking Arsenal FC for remembering the departed hero.
Raila was an ardent Arsenal fan and often shared pictures of himself donning the EPL team’s jerseys while celebrating the team’s wins while at his various homes.
Additionally, the late Raila often travelled to England to watch Arsenal in action against other teams. In one of the visits, he was captured with his two children, Winnie Odinga and Raila Odinga Junior, at the Emirates Stadium.
The former ODM leader, who often made football references in his political rallies, had previously supported Manchester United, Liverpool, Hannover 96 and Bayern Munich; the latter two being during his studying period in Germany.
In his heyday, Raila also played for Luo Union football club (later known as Re-Union FC) in the 1960’s.
Meanwhile, in January, the government announced plans to permanently preserve local and international condolence messages received after the passing of Raila at national institutions.
The messages, received from governments, institutions, and individuals worldwide, have been carefully bound into volumes that will be accessible to future generations across multiple national repositories.
The compiled tributes will be placed at the Kenya National Archives, Kenya National Library Service, Foreign Affairs Library, and the Foreign Affairs Gallery at Uhuru Gardens.
