As Winnie Odinga, the youngest daughter of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga stepped off the Kenya Airways flight at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), on Thursday morning, she held her father Raila Odinga’s white iconic fedora hat, an item long associated with his public image.

Photos shared earlier from Mumbai showed the hat on a lounge seat during the repatriation process. At JKIA, witnesses said Winnie later placed the hat on Raila’s casket, a gesture that highlighted the family’s grief and the country’s mourning.

For years, the white hat has been part of Raila’s visual identity, seen at rallies, church services and state events, making it instantly recognizable to supporters. On Thursday, it served as a simple marker of continuity and memory, linking private loss to a national farewell.