As Kenya stood united in sorrow on October 17, 2025, at Nyayo Stadium, Mama Ida Odinga—wife of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga—made a heartfelt appeal to the nation: to honor her husband’s legacy by embracing peace and unity in their mourning.
“With all my heart, I urge you—let us mourn Raila in peace,” she implored, her voice heavy with emotion. “Peace was everything to Raila. He always said we need peace in our homes, in our nation. Let us hold onto that, not just here today, but across the whole country.”
Her words echoed deeply among thousands who had gathered from every corner of Kenya, reminding them that Raila was more than a leader—he was a beacon of hope, resilience, and above all, peace.
In a moving reflection, Mama Ida shared the story of their 52-year journey together—through love, trials, and a lifetime shaped by struggle and sacrifice.
“I met Raila in the early 1970s, and in 1973, we married. For more than five decades, I lived beside a man whose courage and spirit touched this nation,” she said, her voice breaking with tender nostalgia.
She spoke of their children—named after heroes who inspired courage and dignity: Fidel Castro, Rosemary, Raila Oginga Odinga Jr., and Nelson Mandela—a living testament to the ideals they both cherished.
“Baba was too big for this world,” she said, tears glistening. “Let us honor him by keeping peace alive, by building the future he dreamed of for all Kenyans.”
“Baba Yetu Sisi Wote” – Rosemary Odinga’s Heartbreaking Tribute to Her Father Raila Odinga
In a moment that gripped the hearts of a mourning nation, Rosemary Odinga, daughter of the late Raila Odinga, stood before thousands at Nyayo National Stadium and offered a deeply personal and emotional tribute to her father — not just as a statesman, but as her Baba.
With a trembling voice and eyes heavy with grief, Rosemary began in Swahili:
“Mimi leo sina mengi ya kusema… najua nyinyi pia mnaskia uchungu mwingi sana kwa sababu Babu hakuwa baba wetu pekee, alikuwa baba yetu sisi wote.”
(“I don’t have much to say today… I know you are also feeling deep sorrow, because Baba wasn’t just our father — he was a father to us all.”)
Her words struck a chord with the crowd — uniting personal pain with national mourning.
Introducing her children, Safi and Senai, her siblings Junior and Winnie, and extended family, Rosemary offered a rare glimpse into the family’s private grief — a grief now shared in public view.
Seeking the crowd’s permission, she switched to English. Her voice broke slightly as she admitted she hadn’t planned to speak — “I have too much to say, and not enough time to say it.”
She described her father not as the political giant many knew, but as a guiding light, a confidant, and a gentle grandfather to her children. She remembered his wisdom, his presence, and his quiet strength.
Then came the most heartbreaking moment.
She recalled the morning she received the news. Sitting at the breakfast table, still unaware of the life-altering moment approaching, she received a call from her brother, Junior. He asked her to sit.“I asked him, ‘Should I sit on the floor?’… Then he told me — Dad was gone.”
Even in her grief, Rosemary extended her heart to the people — thanking Kenyans for walking with them, mourning with them, and praying with them.
She ended her tribute with a prayer — for her family, for her mother Mama Ida Odinga, and for all those carrying the weight of this national loss.
“We will stand strong, together,” she said. “Because Baba yetu… alikuwa wetu sisi wote.”
