Ida Odinga has urged Kenyans not to kill one another over their political beliefs in the name of her late husband, Raila Odinga.
I calling for peace, tolerance and love as the country remembers the former Prime Minister.
Speaking during the first anniversary of Raila's death at Migwena Cultural Grounds in Bondo, Siaya county, Ida cautioned supporters against turning their love for the former prime minister into a weapon against those with differing political opinions.
“Do not let your love for Baba turn into a weapon. Don’t kill one another just because they don’t believe what you believe in,” she said.
Ida asked Kenyans to embrace three gifts in Raila’s memory: peace, tolerance and love, saying these values were essential to preserving the ideals he stood for.
“I want to ask for peace. Peace is not the absence of noise. Let’s uphold peace in our nation,” she said.
She urged Kenyans to remain tolerant even towards those they consider their enemies, saying political disagreements should not lead to hatred or end relationships between people.
“If you think that somebody is your enemy, do not stop loving them again,” she said.
Ida also recalled Raila’s ability to forgive those who had wronged him, saying she had witnessed the emotional toll of forgiveness on her husband.
“Baba forgave men who wronged him. I watched what it caused him. I watched his face as he forgave them,” she said.
She urged Kenyans to extend the same spirit of forgiveness and love to one another, regardless of their political affiliations.
“You are not my choice, but you are still my countryman,” she said, underscoring the need to respect differences while recognising a shared national identity.
Ida said she wanted to carry forward the legacy of people who shared Raila’s vision, insisting that his aspirations should outlive him.
“I want to carry people who carry the dream of Baba forward, because dreams do not die,” she said.
She acknowledged that different voices would emerge in the wake of Raila’s death, with some driven by genuine affection and others by convenience, urging Kenyans to remain guided by the values he championed.
