The Deep Meaning of the Mourning Garment Her Husband Ruth Odinga Wore During Raila’s Funeral

• Ruth Odinga’s husband from Ghana, Nana Busia, caught the eye of many during Raila Odinga’s national funeral in Bondo due to his Kente red that covered his body
• The garment, rich in cultural symbols, symbolizes deep mourning in Ghanaian funeral traditions, where colors and fabrics carry deep meanings of emotion and respect.
• As social media circulated pictures of the dress, TUKO.co.ke highlighted the deep meaning behind Nana’s funeral dress

ODM party leader, Raila Amollo Odinga, was buried in an emotional national funeral there Bondoattended by families, political leaders, and thousands of Kenyans.

Among the most interesting people was Nana Busia, the husband of Ruth Odinga from Ghana, who was seen wearing a red robe which covered his whole body and made many people talk about his appearance.

Ruth Odinga’s husband attracted many at Raila’s funeral

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As pictures of the dress continued to circulate online, TUKO.co.ke took a closer look at the funeral dress culture in Nana’s home country.

In Ghana, funerals are not just sad events to say goodbye to loved ones; are highly meaningful cultural events that combine emotions, symbols, and traditional heritage.

One of the things that stands out in these events is the clothing.

From mournful blacks and reds to festive whites, what mourners wear carries deep meaning about life, death, and community unity.

In many Ghanaian cultures, black and red colors dominate the initial stages of mourning as they carry deep feelings without words being spoken.

The meaning of color in Ghanaian funerals

Dr. Joseph Kofi Darmoe, a senior lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Administration (GIMPA), told TUKO.co.ke that the color black symbolizes sadness and mourning, while the color red shows the intense pain of grief and sorrow.

“The wrap worn in that way is called ntoma, and the red one, like the one worn by Ruth’s husband, is called kobine. It is worn by very close relatives of the deceased,” he explained.

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Kofi Darmoe added that a red scarf worn around the neck symbolizes deep mourning, noting that distant relatives do not wear red.

The families of the deceased often choose these colors to visually express their pain and solidarity, thus turning the funeral into a sea of ​​emotions and memories.

However, where the deceased was old, the mood and color changes, the combination of black and white becomes normal, indicating the closing of the page and victory.

The color white, in this context, is not associated with sadness but with a life well ended, victory, and a peaceful transition to the spirit world.

In some families, only white is worn, and so the funeral turns into a celebration of inheritance rather than mourning.

Ruth Odinga’s time during Raila’s death

Kisumu County women’s representative, Ruth Odinga, accompanied her brother Raila Odinga to India and witnessed his last moments alive.

Before Raila’s funeral, Ruth visited their mother’s grave at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum to “let him know” about his brother’s funeral.

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After years of keeping her family out of the public eye, Ruth surprised mourners in Bondo by introducing her two sons in public for the first time.

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Source: TUKO.co.ke