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Nairobi–Kisumu airfares double ahead of Raila Odinga’s funeral
The body of former prime minister Raila Odinga, who had been receiving medical treatment in India when he died, arrives at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on October 16, 2025.
Airfares on the Nairobi–Kisumu route have surged sharply ahead of the burial of former prime minister Raila Odinga, with most flights fully booked through the weekend as mourners and political delegations prepare to travel to Nyanza for the final ceremonies.
A spot check by the Business Daily shows that one-way ticket prices on major carriers now range between Sh18,000 and Sh23,000, nearly double the usual Sh8,000 to Sh10,000 charged on the route.
As of midday on Thursday, booking a one-way Jambojet ticket to Kisumu from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for a Saturday would cost Sh19,500, with fewer than seven empty seats remaining on all three flights scheduled to depart between 6.00 am and 1.50 pm.
The surge follows confirmation that Odinga’s body will be flown to Kisumu for public viewing on Saturday, before being taken to his Bondo home in Siaya County for burial on Sunday.
Flight schedules on Kenya Airways (KQ), Jambojet, and Safarilink platforms showed limited or no available seats between Friday and Sunday, with the few remaining slots priced in higher fare bands.
Ordinarily, the Nairobi–Kisumu corridor is one of the busiest domestic routes, connecting the capital to western Kenya’s commercial and political heartland. Fares on the route usually range between Sh8,000 and Sh10,000, depending on the time of booking and seat availability.
Odinga died on Wednesday at the age of 80 while receiving treatment in an Indian hospital, triggering a week of national mourning and preparations for a State funeral.
The long-time opposition leader was a central figure in Kenya’s post-independence politics for more than three decades.
His death has drawn thousands of supporters to condolence gatherings and memorial vigils in Nairobi and Kisumu, leading to a surge in demand for travel to the lakeside city ahead of the weekend's ceremonies.
Airline booking data shows that most morning and evening departures from Nairobi to Kisumu on Friday and Saturday are already full, with return flights early next week also filling up quickly.
The Nairobi–Kisumu air corridor often experiences high load factors during festive seasons and political events, with the current spike standing out for its timing and the speed at which seats have sold out.
The rise in ticket prices now places the cost of a return trip at around Sh40,000, roughly double the average in normal periods.
This underlines the sensitivity of Kenya’s domestic air market to sudden, event-driven demand spikes, particularly on high-traffic routes like Nairobi–Kisumu, where available capacity can be quickly exhausted.
Odinga’s body is expected to be flown to Kisumu on Saturday morning for public viewing, before proceeding to Bondo for interment on Sunday, events that are expected to draw large crowds from across the country.
