Rosemary Odinga, daughter of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has spoken of the deep pain and emptiness her family continues to feel following her father’s death.
Speaking on Friday, October 17, during the state funeral service held in honour of the veteran politician, Rosemary emotionally recounted the moment she learned of her father’s passing from her brother, Raila Odinga Jr.
“I remember the day I received the message. I was seated at the table, just finished my breakfast, and then my brother Raila Odinga Jr. called me and asked where I was,” she said. “I told him I was seated at the table. Then he asked me to sit down. I didn’t know what he meant — do I sit on the floor, on the table, or is the chair enough? I was so confused. Then Junior told me that our father was no longer with us.”
Rosemary described the news as a moment that shattered their world, saying the Odinga family has since struggled to come to terms with the loss of their patriarch.
“Until today, it is still very difficult. It is very difficult for us to feel like a family,” she said softly. “And today, we are here to pray for Kenya and the rest of the world. I want to say thank you very much.”
On the other hand, Winnie Odinga, the last daughter of Odinga, moved mourners to tears with an emotional tribute to her father, describing him as both her “Dad and superhero.” Speaking during the State Funeral Service at Nyayo National Stadium, Winnie shared heartfelt memories of the man who shaped her life through love, wisdom, and courage.
“I don’t know who I’ll miss more — my Dad or my superhero,” she began, her voice trembling as the crowd fell silent. “I am the luckiest girl in the world because you were my Dad. Only three other human beings were as lucky as me — Fidel, Rozzy, and Junior.”
Winnie described her father as a steady and unyielding presence whose warmth and humour made him stand out both at home and on the global stage. “To the world, you were known by many names. You even gave almost everyone you met a nickname too. But to me, you were simply Dad — a man whose presence froze rooms around the world,” she said.
She reminisced about their childhood, recalling how Raila often tested them with riddles and trivia in what she called “the vitendawili testing ground.” “Our home was filled with quizzes that tested us in a good way… sometimes,” she said, drawing soft laughter from the mourners.
Winnie also reflected on her father’s final wish to be buried within 72 hours of his death. “When I learnt that you willed to be buried in 72 hours, I laughed,” she said. “Good old Dad! Testing and planning for us beyond the grave. I can see you now, laughing in your heaving manner, knowing your wish will be done.”
Turning to the mourners, she praised her father’s legacy of justice, sacrifice, and leadership. “I learned from him that love for country is not just in words, but in sacrifice. That justice must be pursued even when the path is lonely. That true leadership is service, not power,” she said.
She encouraged Kenyans to remain hopeful, saying Raila had prepared the nation for this moment. “Millions of you are in despair, but take heart. He left a plan for you too. He led all of us, he taught us, he carried us — we know what he expects from all of us, and we shall rise together in his honour,” she said.
Winnie spoke fondly of her father’s humility and resilience, describing how he handled both triumph and defeat with grace. “I watched him at his best. I watched him fall and rise again each time with grace, forgiveness, and hope. He taught us that defeat is not failure, that conviction is not arrogance, and that peace is always greater than pride,” she said.
At home, she said, Raila was a loving and humorous father who doted on his grandchildren. “Ask his grandchildren in the front,” she said with a smile through tears. “I started getting sidelined for holidays. I’d just wake up and see Baba in Kasarani with Saphie, or Malindi with Senayi, or insisting the captain must land the plane with Laiyon at the cockpit.”
“He loved Saphie, Allay, Senayi, Laiyon, and Jara with all his heart,” she added. “Even in the busiest moments of national duty, he would send me to check on all of you to remind us to stay grounded, to dream boldly, and to always stand firm for what is right.”
As she concluded her tribute, Winnie said she would forever cherish both the leader and the father she knew — her greatest loss and her eternal inspiration. “Today, as we celebrate his life, I choose to remember not only the leader the world knew, but the father I loved with every fibre of my being,” she said. “The biggest part of me died on October 15, 2025, but the spirit of the lion roars on forever. The King is dead — but long live the crown.”
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