Raila feted at Migwena, the ground where his parents fell in love

Mzee Olang’o Nyabola, a respected Luo Elder and a longtime friend of Raila addresses the media from his Bar Okwiri Village home, Yimbo in Bondo Constituency on October 1, 2026. [Daniel Ogendo, Standard]

Long before it became the venue for Raila Odinga's first death anniversary celebrations, Migwena Sports and Cultural Ground was a meeting point for communities across what is today Siaya County, bringing together clans through sports, cultural performances and traditions that helped shape generations.

Located about eight kilometres south of Bondo town, the nearly 10-acre ground has a history dating back to 1930, when the colonial administration approved a proposal to establish a sporting venue for communities in the larger Siaya area.

But beyond the football matches, wrestling contests and cultural competitions that defined its annual gatherings, Migwena became a place where families began, relationships were forged, and the cultural identity of the Luo community was celebrated.

Its historical significance is now drawing renewed attention as thousands of people prepare to gather at the grounds on October 15 to honour the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, whose family history is closely intertwined with the venue.

According to 90-year-old Mzee Odida Bwoga, a resident of Bondo Sub-County, the establishment of Migwena Sports Ground was spearheaded by Elijah Bonyo, the then chief of Sakwa clan, who tasked his assistant chief, Bwoga Raburu, with identifying suitable land for the annual sporting activities.

At the time, communities in the larger Central Nyanza area had to travel several kilometres to Kisumu Sports Ground, now Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Sports Complex, to participate in annual sporting events.

The establishment of Migwena offered them a more accessible gathering place.

"My father visited many parts of Sakwa in search of suitable grounds. Eventually, he settled on Migwena because it was centrally located within Sakwa and easily accessible to people from Asembo, Uyoma, Yimbo, Gem, Alego and Ugenya," Mzee Odida recalls.

The land was initially considered unsuitable for cultivation and was used for grazing sheep belonging to Migwena village elder Mzee Okeya Gondi.

After consultations, Gondi agreed to surrender the parcel for community use, paving the way for the establishment of a sporting arena that would become an important meeting point for communities across the region.

Migwena's annual sporting events were traditionally held on January 1, attracting participants and spectators from different clans.

The competitions included football, wrestling, athletics, cultural dances, cooking contests and communal eating.

For decades, the gatherings provided an opportunity for communities to display their talents, celebrate their cultural heritage and interact beyond the boundaries of their respective clans.

The ground was reportedly enclosed with a living fence made from euphorbia, with each participating clan having its own entrance.

"The ground was fenced with euphorbia by community members. Each clan had its own gate, which they used when entering the field for competitions," says Mzee Odida.

In an era when opportunities for large regional gatherings were limited, Migwena became an important social institution.

Its significance extended beyond entertainment. Young people met, families established relationships and community members strengthened ties through shared cultural experiences.

For some, the annual gathering became the beginning of lifelong family connections.

One of the most notable relationships associated with Migwena is that between Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Mary Juma, who later became the parents of Raila Odinga.

According to Mzee Odida, the two first encountered each other at Migwena during a sporting event on January 1, 1940.

Jaramogi, then a 29-year-old bachelor from Sakwa, is said to have been captivated by Mary, a young woman who had distinguished herself in athletics while representing Alego clan.

Mzee Odida recalls that Jaramogi sent a group of men led by Oyucho Akello to approach the young woman, but they encountered resistance from men accompanying her.

"Young men from Alego were very protective of their daughter. When the men from Sakwa attempted to take her, they were repelled by the heavily built young men from Alego, forcing them to retreat," he says.

The Sakwa delegation later learnt that Mary was the daughter of Justus Odima, the senior chief of Alego, and that the men protecting her were his retainers.

According to Mzee Odida, the episode reflected a traditional Luo courtship practice known as ywayo, through which a young woman could be taken to a prospective husband's home before a delegation approached her family to seek approval for marriage.

He says Jaramogi's education, reputation and employment as a teacher helped persuade Mary's family to accept the union.

However, accounts of the couple's first encounter differ.

In his autobiography Not Yet Uhuru, Jaramogi recounts meeting Mary at Migwena during a sporting event, although the account cited by Mzee Odida differs in its description of the courtship.

In his 2013 memoir, The Flame of Freedom, Raila also recalls that his parents met at Migwena during a sporting event in the early 1940s.

Raila wrote that the two did not speak on that particular day, but Jaramogi was immediately captivated by Mary. Upon making inquiries, he learnt that she was the daughter of Senior Chief Justus Odima, whose football skills he had previously admired.

The accounts differ in some details, but they reinforce Migwena's place in the history of the Odinga family.

Mzee Olang’o Nyabola, a respected Luo Elder and a longtime friend of Raila addresses the media from his Bar Okwiri Village home, Yimbo in Bondo Constituency on October 1, 2026. [Daniel Ogendo, Standard]

For Mzee Olang'o Nyabola, the late Raila's longtime friend, the story of Jaramogi and Mary is only one example of the many relationships that began at Migwena.

He says the annual gatherings provided young people from different clans with opportunities to meet, making the ground significant to families whose histories can be traced to those events.

"Migwena used to be a sporting arena where many people met their spouses during the annual sporting events. Many families hold the ground dear because it is where their parents met. One of the most notable outcomes from  Migwena is Raila and his siblings," Nyabola says.

He believes the ground's cultural significance lies in its ability to bring people together through activities that went beyond sporting competition.

The events created an environment where young people interacted, communities exchanged cultural practices and relationships developed across clan boundaries.

In this sense, Migwena was not merely a venue for recreation. It was part of the social fabric through which families and community identities were formed.

Its story also reflects the historical role of traditional sporting gatherings in Luo society, where music, dance, athletics and communal celebrations provided spaces for social interaction and cultural expression.

Raila Odinga maintained a strong association with Luo cultural activities throughout his political career. He frequently attended gatherings at Migwena, where sporting competitions and cultural performances continued to attract communities from across the region.

His death has brought renewed attention to the ground and its place in the history of the Odinga family.

Mzee Nyabola now believes that naming the facility after Raila would recognise the historical connection between the former Prime Minister and the venue.

"I may recommend that Migwena Sports Ground be named after Raila Odinga because he is the best son to have been born from all the women Luo men managed to get from Migwena during that historic period when we used to enjoy sporting activities there," he says.

The proposal, however, also raises a broader question about preserving the identity and history of Migwena itself.