For Ida Odinga, the first anniversary of her husband’s death
is more than a date on the calendar.
It is a moment to look beyond the shock of his final hours, the rush to bring him home and the hurried burial that followed, and reflect on a life that left a deep imprint on Kenya’s political journey.
A year after former Prime Minister Raila Odinga died in India, Ida wants Kenyans to set aside their political differences and come together to celebrate the man she knew as a husband and family man, and whom millions regarded as a political leader, reformist and symbol of resistance.
The circumstances of Raila’s death and his wish to be buried within 72 hours had left the family struggling to comprehend how they would meet the tight deadline.
Now, as they prepare to mark one year since his death, Ida sees an opportunity to remember him beyond the demands and confusion of those final days.
“When Baba died, he had said he wanted to be buried within 72 hours. We couldn’t understand how that 72 hours could work out,” she said.
Speaking at Migwena Cultural Grounds in Bondo, Siaya county, ahead of Thursday’s memorial, Ida said the family hoped to give the late opposition leader a fitting tribute while bringing together Kenyans from different political, religious and community backgrounds.
For her, Raila’s legacy cannot be confined to one political party or a particular group of supporters.
His long career took him through several political formations, including Kanu, Ford-NDP and Ford Kenya, leaving behind relationships and a political imprint that stretched beyond the party he led in his later years.
“Baba belongs to many people, belongs to many denominations, belongs to people, many parties,” she said.
“Wherever he was, he left a mark, and the people who were in those parties are still part of him.”
Ida urged Kenyans to make the anniversary a celebration of the values Raila championed, particularly peace and unity, rather than an occasion to reopen political divisions.
“Baba stood for peace, Baba stood for unity, and let’s remember him as that,” she said.
“It is not a day when you remember your enemies. It is not a day when you think of our parties alone, but all the parties.”
The family expects visitors from across Kenya, other African countries and the diaspora, including the United Kingdom and the United States.
Ida also urged those unable to travel to Bondo to join the remembrance from their homes and counties, saying the commemoration should reach beyond Migwena Cultural Grounds.
Her appeal comes as preparations gather pace for Thursday’s memorial, which is expected to draw up to 20,000 people, according to the Siaya County government.
Governor James Orengo echoed the call for unity and peaceful celebrations, warning that goonism had become a national concern that must not be allowed to overshadow the occasion.
“The question of goons must be dealt with. It is a national shame,” he said, urging those who organise or sponsor such groups to ensure they do not interfere with the commemoration.
Orengo said the anniversary should not become another platform for political contestation but should instead honour a figure whose contribution to Kenya’s democratic journey extended across generations.
“This will not be a day of ordinary politics. It is a day to mourn a hero, an enigma, in his full honour and splendour,” he said.
He called on residents of Siaya and Bondo to welcome visitors and maintain peace regardless of their political affiliations.
For Orengo, Raila’s place in Kenya’s history is inseparable from the struggle for multiparty democracy, constitutional reform and devolution.
He pointed to the years Raila spent in detention and the sacrifices he made in pursuit of political reforms.
“He brought us multiparty democracy and worked tirelessly for us to have a new constitution and devolution. Even those who disagreed with him in his quest for a new constitution are now operating under that constitution,” he said.
The memorial is the culmination of a three-day programme that began on Tuesday with an intergenerational conclave at Ofafa Memorial Hall in Kisumu.
Elders, young people, women and religious leaders were expected to reflect on Raila’s life and legacy.
On Wednesday, the family was scheduled to lead an international candle-lighting ceremony at Kang’o ka Jaramogi, with supporters in Kenya and abroad encouraged to light candles in his memory.
Siaya County Secretary Elizabeth Adongo said the county government had coordinated preparations with national government agencies and the local community to ensure the event proceeds smoothly.
The preparations include venue arrangements, security coordination, emergency response, water and sanitation services and public health measures.
The county has also been working with national government agencies on public health preparedness, including Ebola-related protocols.
The anniversary follows the unveiling of Raila’s mausoleum at Kang’o ka Jaramogi in Bondo last week, in an event presided over by President William Ruto.
As the family prepares to gather Kenyans to remember the former Prime Minister, Ida’s message is that his life and legacy should not be reduced to political loyalties or old rivalries.
A year after the hurried arrangements that followed his death, she wants the anniversary to offer something different: a moment of reflection, a celebration of his contribution to the country and a reminder of the peace and unity she says he stood for.
