Mama Ida Odinga on Saturday laid to rest her husband of 52 years, Raila Amolo Odinga, at their home in Bondo, Siaya County.
Speaking during the solemn ceremony at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Ida described their marriage as a journey of resilience, honesty and forgiveness.
“We learnt to talk straight to one another, forgive and move on,” she said, reflecting on their decades together through public service, exile and political struggle.
Ida recalled that her husband often balanced his public and family life with great difficulty but never neglected those closest to him. “Every time he came home, he gave us what we deserved,” she told mourners. She added that Raila shared an unbreakable bond with his elder brother, Dr. Oburu Odinga, whom he always consulted before making decisions.
The years of detention and exile during the Moi regime tested their marriage, but Ida said she never doubted Raila’s return. “It was not easy, but I always knew he would come back. This time, I will have to join him wherever he has gone, because he will never come back. But his spirit lives on,” she said.
Reflecting on their early years, Ida recalled marrying Raila for his calm and reflective character, unaware she was choosing a man destined for turbulent politics. “I thought I was marrying an engineer. Little did I know I was marrying a political engineer who would make Kenya his lifelong project.”
She spoke of the lessons of being a politician’s spouse, learning to inherit his friends rather than his enemies.
“If I had a chance, I would marry him again,” she said. “But this time, I would do so knowing I was marrying a politician, not just an engineer.”
“Fare thee well, my husband. Fare thee well, father of our children.”
