At the interment service held at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology in Bondo, Ida Odinga stood before mourners to pay tribute to her late husband, Raila Odinga, in a heartfelt eulogy that brought laughter and moments of reflection from the assembled crowd of mourners.
At the service which took place on Sunday, October 19, Ida spoke calmly, occasionally pausing to compose herself before moving on, dressed in an all black dress and hat paired with an understated but elegant necklace.
She remembered the man she called her partner for more than half a century, not just the political icon, and she called him “husband” and “friend” as she gave an intimate glimpse into their life together.
At the start of her eulogy, she began by reflecting on their enduring bond and the hardships they faced together through years of political struggle. Her voice trembled as she recalled Raila’s detention and exile.
“Through all this, what remained unchanged was our commitment to each other. The detention years and the years in exile tested our family in a way only the family can appreciate. It was not easy. But all the time when he was away, I knew he would always come back. 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, taking a deep breath before continuing.
She then took mourners back to where it all began, the day she met the man who would later become Kenya’s most revered opposition leader.
With a faint smile, she recalled their youthful optimism and shared an anecdote that drew laughter from the crowd.
“When we met 54 years ago, I did not see the political side of him. He was not a politician in any form. I knew his father was, but him was different,” she said, smiling. “And with my friends then…we were young, idealistic ladies who swore to marry calm professional men, not those who give the loudness of politics.
“We swore we had no time for the people doing Political Science, Law and so forth. We didn’t know what was coming. Out of my group, I was the first one to marry. I married an engineer, a man of calm demeanour and reflective character. Little did I know, I was marrying a political engineer.”
The mourners chuckled, the humour offering a momentary reprieve from the sorrow that hung in the air.
Ida also shared some of the lessons she had learnt from sharing a life with a man whose world was often consumed by politics. With a knowing smile, she offered a word of advice to other spouses of politicians.
“I learnt that if you’re the spouse of a politician, inherit his friends but don’t inherit his enemies. His enemies, let him deal with them the way he made them,” she paused as the crowd responded with light laughter, some nodding in agreement.
As she finished, Ida emphasised that she had no regrets but only gratitude for the years they shared.
“If I had a chance to marry him, I would marry him again,” she said. “But this time, I would recognise that I was marrying not just an engineer, but a politician as well.”
Her voice softened as she brought her tribute to a close, speaking directly to the man she had loved and stood beside for decades.
“Fare thee well, my husband. Fare thee well, father of our children,” she said, her tone heavy with emotion. “If we were to start again, I would be there with you.”
