For decades, Raila Amolo Odinga has been Kenya’s most decorated politician.
Yet, behind the fiery rallies, defiant speeches, and unrelenting fight for democracy lies another side of Baba; the husband, the father, and the man whose family has stood by him through triumphs and trials.
Raila’s life story cannot be told without mentioning his wife, Ida Betty Odinga, the woman who has walked beside him for over five decades.
The two met in the early 1970s when Raila was a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and Ida was working as a teacher.
Their love blossomed quietly but steadfastly, even as the political winds around the Odinga name began to swirl.
Ida has often been described as the anchor of the Odinga household, calm, composed, yet fiercely independent.
Through her own career as an educator and businesswoman, she has carved a space for herself as one of Kenya’s most respected women leaders.
In interviews, she has spoken about the pain of watching her husband jailed during the Moi regime, raising their children alone for years, and keeping hope alive when everything seemed lost.
Together, Raila and Ida raised four children: the late Fidel Odinga, Rosemary Odinga, Raila Odinga Jr, and Winnie Odinga.
Former PM Raila Odinga and his family.
Each of them, in their own way, reflects fragments of their parents’ values, including resilience, compassion, and an enduring sense of duty to others.
Fidel, the firstborn, was often seen as Raila’s natural heir in politics.
Charismatic, composed, and deeply private, Fidel was admired for his humility and warmth.
His untimely death in 2015 left a deep scar on the family.
Raila later described losing his son as one of the
most painful moments of his life, a wound that time could never fully heal.
Rosemary, the second-born, followed a quieter path, venturing into social enterprise and community work.
Her passion for empowering women and young people has been evident through her initiatives in agriculture and mentorship.
A few years ago, she faced her own battle with illness, an
experience that the family rallied around her to overcome.
Raila Odinga Jr, often known for his easy-going nature, has become
increasingly visible in recent years, supporting his father’s legacy while
pursuing his interests in business and social impact.
The youngest, Winnie Odinga, carries a spark that many say mirrors her father’s early energy.
Outspoken and politically aware, Winnie has often stood by Raila during campaigns, coordinating his communication and logistics teams.
She has described her father as both a mentor and a friend, “a man who taught me that leadership is about service, not self.”
Beyond politics, those close to Raila describe him as a deeply affectionate man, one who values laughter, storytelling, and family dinners.
Ida once revealed that Raila is fond of music and dancing, often lightening the mood at home with jokes or stories from his youth in Kisumu.
Through exile, imprisonment, elections, and heartbreak, the Odingas have remained a close-knit family, their bond tested but never broken.
For Raila, who carried the weight of
political struggle for most of his life, family was both his refuge and
his reason to keep fighting.
As Kenya reflects on his towering
public legacy, perhaps the truest measure of Raila Odinga’s greatness lies not
just in the crowds he moved but in the home he built, the love he nurtured, and the generations he inspired.
