Mama Ida remembers 52-years of marriage with Raila Odinga in emotional tribute

Speaking during the State Funeral Service at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi, on Friday, October 17, Mama Ida Odinga remembered the astute man she met in the early 1970s, whom she fell in love with and married in 1973.

She added that their marriage stood the test of time, from Raila's political detentions and uprising against the governments of the day. 

"I first met Raila way back in the early 70s, and we got married in 1973. For that reason, I've lived with this man for 52 years. Many of the people in this stadium could easily be our children; no wonder you call him Baba," she stated. 

She also recalled how they named their four children in line with their heroes who embodied positive attributes.

"During our union, we were blessed with four children. The first child is Fidel Castro Odhiambo Odinga. When he was born, I was a bit hesitant about the name. He said he was a great admirer of Fidel Castro. Later, we had a second child, Rosemary. Rose is my mother's name, and Mary is his mother's and so we combined the two.

"The third, he named after his best friend and cousin, whom they shared a name, so we ended up with Raila Oginga Odinga (Junior). Last, there was a big gap, and came the fourth child. When I went to the hostel, I was watching the TV, and that's the time Nelson Mandela came out of prison. I could see Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela walking out of the gates of the prison. I said if it was a boy, it would be Nelson, if it was a girl, it would be Winnie," she recounted.

"There's nothing wrong with giving names of people who we think are heroes."

Mama Ida added that Raila's clarion call was for Kenyans to maintain peace and not to be divided based on political or tribal lines. 

"On Sunday, I'll be able to say more, but one thing he kept saying to me is that we must urge Kenyans to live in peace. Raila hated dishonesty; he hated greed that leads to corruption," she pointed out.

"Our lives were not a smooth ride. We had our ups and downs, but as we continued living together, we learned how to cope because we have weaknesses and strengths. We learnt to talk straight truth to one another, speak the truth, forgive and move on."

"Please don't carry grudges from one generation to another, from one group to another, from sisters and brothers. We must learn to forgive easily."

Raila was accorded a State Funeral Service, as directed by President William Ruto, for his decades of contribution to the country's democracy.