Time has failed to heal the Odinga family’s grief following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, with his sister, Dr Akinyi Wenwa, saying his continued presence in public conversations keeps reopening the family’s wounds.
Wenwa said Raila’s name and voice remain part of everyday life in Kenya, making it difficult for the family to come to terms with his death as the country prepares to mark the first anniversary of his passing.
“When you wake up in the morning and switch on the radio, you will hear Raila’s name, and in most cases, his voice,” she said during an international candle-lighting ceremony at Kang’o ka Jaramogi in Bondo, Siaya County, on Wednesday.
She cited a daily programme on one of the FM stations featuring Raila’s famous sayings, as well as newspaper coverage, television news and public gatherings where his name continues to feature.
“You go to a friend for consolation, and you find they are grieving just as deeply as yourself. And you end up consoling them instead of them consoling you,” she said.
Wenwa said visits to Raila’s mausoleum, where the family might hope to find quiet moments for prayer and reflection, often turn into encounters with mourners still struggling to accept his death.
She said some visitors come for the first time, while others return in the hope of reconciling themselves with the reality that Raila is gone.
The family, she added, has found comfort in the support shown by Kenyans and the memorial monument built in Raila’s honour, for which she thanked President William Ruto.
Wenwa recalled how Raila consoled family members after losing the 2022 presidential election, saying the experience had shaped her understanding of his approach to adversity and death.
She recalled visiting Raila at his Karen home after the election results were announced, when her cousin Esther, who had flown in from New Jersey in the United States, broke down upon seeing him.
Instead of being consoled, Raila held her and questioned why she was crying, reminding her that he was still alive despite losing the presidential contest.
“He had just lost the presidency and he was the one consoling us,” Wenwa said.
She said Raila’s words and philosophy continued to offer comfort even after his death.
One of his famous sayings, she recalled, was that a coward dies many times while a brave person dies only once.
“Death comes when it will. Do not fear death. Even now, that saying consoles me,” she said.
Wenwa said the family’s healing would not come simply with the passage of time but through faith and the knowledge that they were not grieving alone.
“Our healing will not come from the calendar. It can only come from above and from knowing that we are not alone,” she said.
“Raila’s family is not just the people of his house. It is the whole country and beyond.”
Meanwhile, Raila’s widow, Ida Odinga, urged Kenyans attending Thursday’s first-anniversary commemoration to honour his memory peacefully, saying the occasion should not be turned into a political rally.
Ida said Raila had played many roles beyond politics, including those of a father, brother, engineer and friend, and that people from different backgrounds had known and experienced him in different ways.
She invoked the story of blind people describing an elephant by touching different parts of its body, saying each person’s understanding of Raila was shaped by their own experiences with him.
“Each one of us had known Raila differently. And you can’t say that you are right and the other person is wrong. All of you are right because that is how you perceived him,” she said.
Ida said the anniversary should provide space for Kenyans from different political parties, ethnic communities and walks of life to remember Raila in their own way.
She urged those who disagreed with one another to do so without resorting to violence, noting that Raila believed in democracy and the right of people to be heard.
“Democracy demands that everybody should be given a hearing, but not everybody is right. And you don’t have to disagree with those who do not agree with you in a violent manner,” she said.
Ida called on Kenyans to attend the commemoration in a spirit of unity and peace, describing the occasion as a solemn remembrance of Raila Amolo Odinga and his contribution to the country.
The first-anniversary commemoration is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, at Migwena Cultural Grounds in Bondo, where family members, political leaders and members of the public are expected to gather in honour of the former Prime Minister, who died in India on October 15, 2025.
