Mama Ida Odinga, widow of the late opposition leader Raila Odinga, has offered mourners a deeply personal glimpse into her family life by sharing the stories behind the names of her four children.
Speaking on Friday at Nyayo Stadium, she revealed how each name carried with it history, memory, and meaning — reflecting not just family ties, but also the political struggles and global influences that shaped their lives.
Ida, who was married to Raila for 52 years, began by recounting how their firstborn son came to be named Fidel Castro Odhiambo Odinga.
She admitted that at first, she was hesitant about the name.
“When he was born, I was a bit unsure about the way Raila wanted to name him. I asked, Why Fidel?” she said.
Raila explained that he greatly admired the Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, whose defiance and resilience resonated with his own ideals.
“That is how we ended up calling him Fidel,” she said, a decision that reflected Raila’s admiration for figures who challenged oppression.
The couple’s second child was their daughter, Rosemary Odinga. Ida explained that her name was carefully chosen to honour both sides of the family.
“Rose is the name of my father, and Mary is the name of his mother,” she said.
Combining the two names was symbolic — an act of weaving together her lineage and Raila’s, ensuring that both families remained central in their children’s identity.
“It also has a deep meaning,” she added, underscoring how names can serve as bridges across generations.
When it came to their third child, Raila Odinga Jr, Ida said his name was rooted in love and friendship.
He was named after Raila’s cousin and best friend, Raila Kembo, with whom he shared not only a name but also a close bond.
“He named him after his cousin,” Ida explained.
In this case, the name carried both family pride and continuity, echoing the legacy of their father and grandfather, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
Ida became particularly animated when recalling the birth of her youngest child, Winnie Odinga.
She described the moment vividly, taking mourners back to February 1990, when South African freedom icon Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 27 years.
Ida, then in labour, was in the hospital ward watching live television coverage of Mandela’s historic walk to freedom. Beside him was his wife, Winnie Mandela.
“As I was watching the TV, I could see Nelson and Winnie Mandela holding hands as Mandela walked out of prison,” she recalled.
“We didn’t know what kind of child I would get, but I said, if it’s a boy, we would name him Nelson, and if it’s a girl, Winnie.”
That moment of history intertwined with her family’s own, and so the Odingas’ youngest daughter was named Winnie.
Reflecting on these stories, Ida urged young parents to give their children names that carry meaning.
“I know these days you can name your child any name you want, but I appeal to those with children: give your child a meaningful name,” she said.
She also reflected on her long marriage to Raila.
“We got married in 1973 and lived with this man for 52 years,” she said.
“Many people here in this stadium could easily have been our children. No wonder you called him Baba. The name didn’t come from nowhere, but from the experience and relationship we had with so many people.”
In sharing these stories, Ida not only paid tribute to her late husband but also underscored the values of family, memory, and legacy that guided the Odinga household.
