17/10/2026
PRESS STATEMENT BY MAMA IDA ODINGA
17 October 2026
On behalf of the Odinga family, I wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to the people of Kenya and to our friends from across Africa and beyond who stood with us as we commemorated the first
anniversary of the passing of my beloved husband, Raila Amolo Odinga.
To everyone who travelled to Bondo, prayed with us, sang, danced and shared their memories of
Baba, thank you.
Your presence brought comfort to our family and reminded us once again of the
extraordinary bond Raila shared with the people of Kenya.
We are equally grateful to the Raila Amolo Odinga Memorial National Steering Committee, religious
leaders, performers, volunteers, service providers and all those who worked tirelessly to make these
commemorations possible.
I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to His Excellency President William Samoei Ruto for the
support he has accorded our family, particularly towards the construction and completion of Raila’s mausoleum.
We deeply appreciate his contribution towards preserving my husband’s memory with
dignity.
Throughout his life, Raila built friendships, encountered disagreements and found reconciliation with people across the political divide.
Our invitations to the memorial reflected that lifetime of relationships.
Every guest we invited was welcome. The Odinga family has no quarrel with any of them.
We also appreciate those who conveyed their condolences and goodwill but were unable to attend.
An invitation to a family commemoration is an expression of fellowship, not a summons. Neither
attendance nor absence should be interpreted as a disagreement with our family.
It is therefore a matter of profound regret that parts of the memorial were disrupted by booing,
shouting and acts of intimidation directed at some of our guests.
I am particularly disappointed by the conduct of sections of the political class.
Reports that individuals may have been paid and transported to the gathering for the purpose of
heckling, intimidating or disrupting invited guests are deeply disturbing. Such actions represent a
grave disrespect not only to our family, but also to Raila’s memory and to the thousands who came
in peace.
To every guest who was subjected to such treatment, I offer, on behalf of the Odinga family, our sincere and unreserved apologies. You came to stand with us at a deeply personal moment, and you deserved to be received with courtesy, warmth and respect.
Political leaders have a special responsibility to exercise restraint, uphold order and ensure that
their supporters respect the dignity of others, even where political differences exist.
Our invitation was an assurance of welcome. No political disagreement entitled anyone to
dishonour it.
I shared more than fifty years of marriage with Raila. I knew a man who believed passionately in the freedom to differ, who challenged authority, who endured political persecution, and who
nevertheless understood the importance of dialogue, reconciliation and the ability to sit together despite profound disagreements.
Surely, those who seek to honour Raila must also be prepared to uphold those values.
His resting place must never become a battleground for political rivalries. Neither should our family’s grief be turned into an occasion for settling political scores.
Raila belonged to his family, but he also belonged to Kenya, to Africa and to the many people whose
lives he touched. His legacy is far greater than the political disagreements of the moment.
We therefore appeal to all political leaders and their supporters to respect our family, our guests and the sanctity of Raila’s resting place.
Let us honour Raila not only through what we say about him, but also through how we treat one
another.
Finally, to the thousands who came with love, who conducted themselves with dignity and who
joined us in celebrating Baba’s extraordinary life, please accept our deepest gratitude.
It is your prayers, your stories, your songs, your kindness and your fellowship that we will remember.
May Raila’s memory continue to inspire us to build a Kenya in which people can disagree without
becoming enemies, and in which dignity, freedom and mutual respect remain the foundation of our
common life.
Mama Ida Odinga
For and on behalf of the Odinga family.
