Being Raila’s spouse: Ida speaks on 52-year marriage, the test of detention and exile

During his send-off ceremony in Bondo, Siaya County, Mama Ida explained their marriage as one with ups and downs. She adds that they learnt to talk straight to one another, forgive and move on. 

Given the leadership roles that Raila held, his wife recalls how he would juggle family and public life. 

“I know most of the time we used to say Raila is more of public life, political life than he is for family life, but every time he came, he gave us what we deserved,” Ida told mourners at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology. 

Despite the busy schedules, Ida said, Raila found time for his children, siblings and the larger family. 

“When Oburu was here, he didn’t emphasize, but I think the next person after loving me, the other person he loved, leave alone his children, is Dr. Oburu. Raila would not do anything without consulting with Dr. Oburu, and if you wanted to know more and get to know what he will do, if you are clever, you talk to Dr. Oburu first, so that he softens the way for you to talk to him.”

Ida says they remained committed to each other, to keep the vow they made to each other.

During the Moi era, Raila was arrested, detained and forced to flee to exile.

“The detention years and years of exile, tested our family in a way only the family can appreciate. It was not easy, but all the time when he was away, either in detention or in exile, I knew he would always come back. This time, I will have to join him wherever he has gone because he will never come back, but the spirit lives on,” said Ida. 

The mother of four also recalled her youthful years, when she got committed to Raila without knowing his political interests. 

“I swore, I had no time for the people doing political science and lawyers. 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 not know I was marrying a political engineer, who proceeds to make engineering of Kenya his lifelong project, I didn’t know,” said Ida. 

She would later understand Raila as a “political engineer” and adapt to the challenges she faced for being his spouse. 

“I learnt that if you are the spouse of a politician, you inherit his friends and not his enemies. Because you will be sitting at home, thinking so and so is an enemy of my husband because he belongs to a different political party or comes from a different area, I tell you will be wrong,” she told mourners. 

“If I had a chance to marry him, I would marry him again. I would be happy to do it, but this time I would marry him knowing I’m marrying a politician and not just an engineer.”

“Dear Kenyans, today I surrender Raila to friends, family and patriots who went ahead of him. I surrender him to eternity. Fare thee well, my husband, fare thee well, father of our children.”