On January 20, 1994, the nation was thrown into mourning and tears, Kenya had lost one of her notable freedom fighters, first Vice President and an adorable political leader.
The nation had lost Obadiah Adonijah, also known as Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who had succumbed to breathing difficulties at the Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu City.
In the first few hours, nobody knew what was happening except his family and then President Daniel Moi and a few other state officials, as civilians remained in the dark.
Ironically, Moi who had for years devoted his time to harassing Oginga, including banning him from politics and sponsoring the likes of Odongo Omamo to ensure that he doesn't win the Bondo parliamentary seat suddenly respected the veteran politician.
Moi sent in a military plane in honour of the Mr Odinga, forgetting the years of harassment he had subjected him to, a habit he had inherited from his successor Mzee Jomo Kenyatta after his 1966 fallout with Kenyatta.
Within minutes, his (Oginga) body had left the hospital, nearly wrapped in a bodybag, and driven to the Kisumu International Airport in the company of armed police officers.
A military plane was waiting, after which he was wheeled inside before the plane took off for Nairobi where Odinga's body was taken to the Lee Funeral Home.
Oginga's aide Dimba Jakobuya earlier in the year revealed that Oginga had been sickly since the previous day, and was set to meet Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
He says that Oginga had also refused to take his medication.
“The following day, on January 20, I called Dr Olel when Jaramogi started developing breathing difficulties. He arrived within minutes and recommended that we rush Mzee to Aga Khan Hospital,” he said.
It was not after he was safely lying at the Lee morgue that national broadcaster Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) announced that all was not well.