A visibly heartbroken Ida Odinga on Friday delivered a powerful message of forgiveness, unity, and peace as she bid farewell to her late husband, Raila Odinga, during a national memorial service held at Nyayo Stadium.
“Don’t carry grudges from one generation to another,” she pleaded. “We are all Kenyans, and we must learn to forgive easily and build a together Kenya.”
Ida, who shared over five decades of life and love with the opposition leader, described Raila as a man of unwavering principles who despised dishonesty and greed, especially corruption that robs Kenyans of dignity and opportunity.
“Raila hated dishonesty. He hated greed the greed that has eaten into the fabric of our society, that leads people to steal from public coffers,” she said, drawing emotional applause from mourners.
She recalled Raila’s constant reminder that peace was the most precious gift Kenyans could give each other. “One thing he kept on repeating to me is that we must urge Kenyans to live in peace,” Ida said.
In a moving written tribute, she described Raila as her “partner, confidant, and greatest supporter,” saying his death had left her “heart heavy” and her dreams of growing old together shattered.
“For over five decades, you weren’t just my husband; you were my partner, my confidant, my greatest supporter,” she wrote. “I had dreamed of retiring together, of growing old hand in hand, sharing quiet sunsets and dreams fulfilled.”
Ida concluded by thanking Kenyans for standing with the family and honouring Raila’s memory, urging the nation to live by the values of integrity, compassion, and forgiveness that her late husband embodied.
“May his soul rest in eternal peace,” she said softly. “And may we continue his dream of a united Kenya.”
