Bondo, Kenya — In a moving and deeply personal tribute, Ida Odinga said she would choose to marry her husband, Raila Odinga, all over again — even with full knowledge of the tumultuous political life that lay ahead.
Speaking during the burial of the former Prime Minister at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) in Siaya County, the widow of Kenya’s long-time opposition leader reflected on their 54-year marriage, calling it a journey of love, faith, and resilience.
“If I had a chance to marry him, I would marry him again — but this time I’d marry him knowing I’m marrying a politician, not just an engineer,” she said, her voice trembling slightly as thousands of mourners listened in silence.
Ida recalled their first meeting as university students, long before Raila became a household name. “When I first met Raila some 54 years ago, I didn’t see his political side; I didn’t see it coming either. He was not a politician in any form,” she said. “I knew his father was, but he was different.”
A Love Tested by Politics and Prison
With a touch of humour, she told mourners that she and her friends at the University of Nairobi had once sworn to marry only calm, professional men — “not those loud, politically charged ones.”
“We were young, idealistic ladies who swore to marry calm, professional men — the engineers and doctors. We had no time for those doing political science or law. We didn’t know what was coming,” she said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
But the humour soon gave way to reflection. Ida spoke candidly about the strain their family endured during Raila’s long political struggles — his detentions, exiles, and years away from home.
“Detention years and years in exile tested our family in a way only we can understand,” she said quietly. “It was not easy, but all the time when he was away, I knew he would always come back.”
“The Spirit Lives On”
As her eulogy drew to a close, Ida’s composure wavered briefly. “This time, I’ll have to join him wherever he has gone because he will never come back — but the spirit lives on,” she said, her words met with a hush of emotion across the crowd.
Raila Odinga, who died in India following a cardiac arrest while receiving treatment, was laid to rest at his family home in Kang’o Ka’Jaramogi, Bondo. The state funeral was attended by Kenyan leaders, dignitaries, and representatives from across Africa.
President William Ruto announced that Raila would be honoured with a full state funeral and declared seven days of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast in his memory.
For Ida Odinga, however, the tribute was not about politics or ceremony — but love. A love that began in youth, endured through turmoil, and, as she said, “will live on in spirit.”