Mama Ida Odinga, the wife of the former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, urged Kenyans to maintain peace even as they observe the seven days of mourning as she paid tribute to the country’s fallen hero and her husband.
She was speaking at the National Memorial Service attended by President William Ruto, First Lady Rachel Ruto and the former President Uhuru Kenyatta, in honour of the Rt Hon, Odinga, who died on October 15, in India at the age of 80.
“One thing I know that Raila stood for and kept on repeating is that we need peace in our nation. We need peace in our homes. And peace will not survive in a chaotic situation,” she said.
Her sentiments come as Kenya grapples with the deaths of at least three mourners who were killed as security services fired shots and teargas into the crowd to maintain calm at the Moi International Stadium in Kasarani, on Thursday, during the public viewing ceremony.
While Friday’s ceremony proceeded without complications, Raila’s body will be transported on Saturday to Kisumu, his political stronghold, where members of the public will get a chance to view the body before he is buried on Sunday at his farm in Bondo.
“For that reason, I appeal, let us mourn Raila in peace. I know you’re all concerned, I know you are mourning, you are sad about this, but let’s keep the peace so that peace can prevail, not only here but the rest of the country,” she added.
Maintaining peace is an ideal that the late ODM party leader continued to encourage throughout his years of leadership, emphasising the importance of maintaining national unity, and in her eulogy, Mama Ida said Raila reminded her of the same.
“One thing he kept on repeating to me is that we must urge Kenyans to live in peace,” she said. “Repeat that to Kenyans, we must live in peace.”
“Thank you for standing with this family”
Dressed in an elegant black dress with gold details, Mama Ida Odinga remained poised and composed even as she eulogised her husband of almost five decades.
“We got married in 1973, so I have lived with this man for 52 years. Many of the people that I see in this stadium could easily be our children. No wonder you call him Baba,” she said
She also told the excited crowd how she and the opposition leader had learned to live together in harmony.
“As we continued living together, we learnt how to cope because we all have weaknesses and strengths. We learnt to talk straight to one another, we learnt to speak the truth and we learnt to forgive and move on.”
It was this forgiveness that he expressed every time he lost an election, and which Mama Ida hopes will prevail in Kenya.
“This forgiveness is something he has spread to Kenya. You’ve seen how many times he has tried in the elections; that forgiveness is paramount. Don’t carry grudges from one generation to another, from one group to another, we are all Kenyans,” she said.
In her closing remarks, Mama Ida thanked Kenyans for their continued support of her family and their love for Raila.
“Thank you to those who have come and those who are watching us from other places. I thank you for standing with this family, for being here for us and for helping us to mourn Raila.”
