Captain Saviemaria Ondego has shared her emotional experience of flying the body of the late ODM leader, Raila Odinga, from India to Kenya. She said it was the hardest flight of her career and one she will never forget.
Ondego, who flies the Boeing 737-800 for Kenya Airways, was the captain of the special flight code-named RAO-001, created to honor Raila.
The highly tracked plane carried his body from India to Nairobi on Thursday, October 17.
“It really was a surreal experience,” she said. “Every day is not a normal day in our job, but this one was different. There was a heaviness and responsibility to our country that made it not a normal flight.”
The weight of the moment hit her when she had to speak to the passengers before takeoff.
“To be honest, I went to speak and nothing came out,” she recalled.
“I had to come off the speaker, take a deep breath, and then try again. My voice was a little shaky, but it was important to me, and somehow the words flowed.”
Ondego said she understood how emotional the moment was for Kenyans and wanted to honor Raila with respect.
“To our country, to Kenyans all around, to the family of Honourable Raila Odinga, we are with them. Our hearts are with them. We love them, and we are one as a country going forward,” she said.
The captain’s calm and grace touched many Kenyans. She described the flight as both emotional and honorable. And a moment of unity and national pride even in sorrow.
By Vivian K.