“I GAVE RAILA TO YOU ALIVE, YOU GAVE HIM BACK IN A COFFIN” — IDA ODINGA’S EMOTIONAL TRIBUTE TO RAILA

Speaking at Migwena Cultural Grounds in Bondo, Ida recounted the moment she publicly released her husband to serve the nation and the pain of receiving him back after his death.

“I gave Raila to you alive, you gave him back to me in a coffin. Because you loved him let me say this… many voices will rise in his name but Legacy is not inherited it lives on. I ask for peace, tolerance and love,” she said.

The statement formed the centrepiece of her address to a large gathering of supporters, political leaders and family members marking one year since Raila Odinga died in India on October 15, 2025, aged 80, while receiving medical treatment.

Ida expanded on the theme, warning that in the months ahead, different voices would invoke her husband’s name for varying reasons. “Some will speak out of love. Some will speak out of convenience. Legacy is not inherited. It is not to be spent. It will live on,” she said.

She asked Kenyans for three specific gifts in Raila’s memory. “First, I would like to ask for the gift of peace. Peace is not the absence of noise. It is the presence of respect. No victory is worth a mother’s tears. Please, let’s try to hold peace in our nation,” she said. She followed this with calls for tolerance and love.



Addressing young people directly, Ida cautioned against turning political passion or affection for “Baba” into tools of harm. “Do not let your passion turn into a weapon. Do not let your love for Baba turn into a weapon because a weapon is meant to harm,” she said. “Don’t harm one another just because they don’t believe in what you believe in. Don’t kill one another just because they don’t believe in what we believe in.”

She stressed that political rivals should not be regarded as enemies. “Our people you are contesting against are not your enemies. You are contesting against them. When the election is over, let’s get together,” she said. Ida recalled how Raila repeatedly sat across the table from those who opposed or hated him and forgave them, noting that she had witnessed the personal cost of that forgiveness.



She also appealed to elders and those in positions of responsibility to give young people room to express themselves and to correct them with love when necessary, while urging the youth to respect their elders.

Ida reflected on the broader meaning of her husband’s life, noting that Raila belonged to people across many political parties, denominations and communities. She said the anniversary should focus on the values of peace and unity he championed rather than on divisions or personal agendas.

Currently serving as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme, Ida delivered her remarks as political discussions about the future of Raila’s influence intensify ahead of the 2027 General Election. Her message emphasised that true continuity of his ideals depends on conduct rooted in the principles he stood for, not merely on the use of his name.