TOUGH LOVE

I don’t always agree with my dad’s decisions — Raila Jr

Raila Junior in studio
Raila Junior in studio
Image: Courtesy

Opposition leader Raila Odinga's son Raila Junior says he opposes some of the ideas his father comes up with.

Raila Junior opened up about his 'tough love' for his father during an interview with Massawe Japanni on Radio Jambo on Tuesday.

"I do oppose most things my dad says, but it is not that I don't love him; it's because I have my stand in life. Raila is a good man and a normal person," Raila Junior said.

"I do oppose things he says, but at home, we do talk, encourage each other and share good memories together."

Losing his brother Fidel Odinga was a big blow to Raila Junior and his siblings, he said. This is because Fidel was their protector, and his death was the hardest time they had undergone as a family.

Raila's hectic life in politics back in the day meant that it was hard for him to spend time with the family.

"I saw my father for the first time when I was 10 years old. There were many people in my mother's house. I was still young so I didn't know what was going on," Raila Junior recalled.

"At first I rebelled when I saw him because I had not seen him before," Junior said.   

Raila's son was born with a tumour, which affected his brain and later distorted his facial features. It was later diagnosed as facial paralysis.

Junior, who is a producer, said people do not give him a job because he is the son of a well-known politician or comes from a famous family, but because of his high professionalism.

Months ago, Raila Junior's sister Rosemary Odinga lost her sight partially due to a tumour, a condition that saw her hospitalised for months.

Raila Junior told Massawe his sister's condition has greatly improved.

"First and foremost, I want to thank God for healing my sister Rosemary, who was sick for some months," he said.

"She is not like the way she was for the first time, and I hope she will be OK in future," he said.

Talking about his family, Junior said they stayed for five years without his wife giving birth.

"We had a lot of pressure from our friends and family. So the thing I could do was to encourage my wife because I knew she was also going under that pressure. Finally, God blessed us with a baby boy," Junior said.

He does not have any ambition for politics. Rather, he is concentrating on his businesses. He also said as a family, they did not stop his father Raila from swearing himself in as the People's President because they were the one who pushed him to do so.

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