Mama Ida Odinga has opened up about the heartbreaking moment she learnt of the death of her husband, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, recalling how a phone call from their daughter Winnie Odinga changed her life forever.
Ida recounted that Raila was in India when she tried to reach their daughter Ruth Odinga but could not get through. She then called Winnie, who was also in India with her father.
According to Ida, Winnie told her that Raila had been taking a walk when he suddenly collapsed, prompting those around him to rush to save his life.
“She told me he was taking a walk and he collapsed, but they are trying to resuscitate him,” Ida recalled.
Winnie reportedly informed her mother that Raila was being taken to the intensive care unit (ICU) as medical personnel continued efforts to revive him.
She promised to keep Ida updated on her father’s condition, leaving the family waiting anxiously for news from India.
However, the situation took a devastating turn just 10 minutes later.
Winnie’s heartbreaking phone call
Ida said Winnie called her again shortly afterwards with the news no wife or family member would ever want to receive.
“Ten minutes later, Winnie calls me and tells me, ‘We’ve lost the battle.’ She said, ‘Dad is gone,’” Ida recounted.
That was how Ida learnt that her husband had died, a moment she described as extremely difficult to endure.
The brief interval between hearing that doctors were trying to save Raila and receiving confirmation of his death made the experience even more painful.
For Ida, the news marked the end of a long journey alongside a man with whom she had shared decades of marriage, family life and Kenya’s political history.
A painful moment for the Odinga family
Raila’s death left a profound void in the Odinga family and among his supporters across the country.
As a wife and mother, Ida had shared with Raila both the personal challenges of family life and the pressures that came with his long public career.
Her recollection offers a deeply personal account of the moments surrounding his final hours in India, showing how the family received the devastating news from thousands of kilometres away.
“It was not easy,” Ida said, reflecting on the painful experience.
Her account captures the shock and helplessness of waiting for updates about a loved one in critical condition, only to receive news that all efforts to save him had failed.
