Ida Odinga: “I Never Imagined I Would Be the One to Bury Raila”

Bondo, Siaya County – Sunday, October 19, 2025

As the sun cast a solemn glow over the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Mama Ida Odinga stood before a sea of mourners — dignitaries, family, and ordinary Kenyans — her voice steady but heavy with emotion. For the first time since the passing of her husband, former Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga, Ida spoke from the depths of a grief that has shaken not just her family but the soul of a nation.

“I never imagined that this would fall on me — to lead the family and the world in burying Raila. I hoped it would be the other way round,” she said, her words punctuated by quiet sobs across the crowd.

Dressed in an elegant black dress and matching hat, Ida began her tribute by acknowledging the hand of God even in tragedy. “With pain, without lamentation, I accept the will of God,” she declared — a line that resonated with the quiet dignity that has defined her through decades of public life.

The widow of Kenya’s most storied opposition leader thanked Kenyans, regional neighbours, and the international community for standing with the Odinga family in mourning a man who, for many, symbolized resilience and hope. She extended special gratitude to President William Ruto, noting that his administration had given her husband a send-off befitting his stature.

“Mr President, my family is grateful to you for being a man of your word and a man who stands with friends after committing to do so,” she said, to warm applause.

Ida also paid tribute to former President Uhuru Kenyatta, whom she described as a “true friend who has stood with us consistently,” underscoring the rare moments of political unity that have marked Raila’s final journey home.

But it was when she turned to her personal memories that Ida’s words cut deepest. She painted a picture of youthful optimism — a young university graduate who thought she had found a calm, reflective man far removed from the chaos of politics.

“When I married Raila, politics was the last thing on my mind,” she recalled, smiling faintly. “My friends and I had agreed we would marry professionals — engineers and doctors. I married an engineer, and they congratulated me. Little did I know I was marrying a political engineer who would make the engineering of Kenya his lifelong project.”

Her recollection drew laughter from mourners, a brief reprieve from the heaviness of the moment. After 54 years of marriage, Ida said she had learned that the life she shared with Raila was not defined by ease, but by endurance.

“If I were given another chance, even knowing what I know now — that I was marrying a man destined to be a politician — I would still marry Raila,” she said, her voice quivering slightly.

Ida described her husband as a devoted family man who, despite the pressures of public life, always made time for those he loved. “I think the next person after loving me, the other person that he loves — leave alone his children — is Dr Oburu,” she said, smiling warmly at Raila’s elder brother seated among family members.

She spoke candidly about the strains that politics placed on their marriage, admitting that there were times when public life overshadowed family life. But in those moments, she said, they always found their way back through conversation, forgiveness, and understanding.

“Juggling family and public life exerted extreme pressure and demands on us from time to time. I know most of the time Raila was more in political life than in family life, but every time he came home, he gave us what we deserved,” she reflected.

Her eulogy ended on a note both heartbreaking and hopeful. Speaking of Raila’s long political struggle — marked by detentions, betrayals, and unwavering courage — Ida said his spirit would forever outlive his body.

“He is never coming back,” she said softly, her gaze distant, “but the spirit lives on.”

As the mourners rose in applause, the moment felt larger than loss — it was a testament to a love that had endured the storms of politics, the scars of struggle, and the weight of history.

Raila may have been the face of Kenya’s democratic fight, but in that moment, Ida Odinga reminded the nation that behind every revolutionary, there stands a pillar — unshaken, unseen, but indispensable.