Ida Odinga revealed she deliberately prevented her late husband, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, from visiting his sister Beryl Achieng Odinga during her final days.
She feared the sight of her deteriorated health would emotionally overwhelm him.
During Beryl’s burial on December 6, 2025, Ida shared the family’s struggles, describing the pain of losing two close family members in a short period.
She noted that grief had struck the family so deeply that coping had become extremely challenging.
Beryl had returned to Kenya from Zimbabwe, where she worked, before her health worsened.
Ida explained that when she visited her in hospital, Beryl could not speak and was surrounded by medical equipment and her children.
The sight of Beryl’s weakened condition shocked Ida. She immediately concluded that Raila should not visit, given their unusually close bond.
She worried that witnessing his sister so unwell would have been emotionally devastating for him.
“So when I went back home, I told Raila, ‘Don’t go and see Beryl now; she is not okay,’” Ida said.
She emphasized that her decision was motivated purely by concern for his emotional wellbeing.
Ida further explained that when Raila travelled to India for medical treatment, where he later passed away, she instructed family members not to inform Beryl of his death.
She wanted to protect her from added distress during a fragile time.Even Ida herself avoided seeing Beryl after Raila’s passing, fearing she could not withstand facing her while mourning.
Despite her efforts, she acknowledged that Beryl eventually learned of Raila’s death, adding to the emotional burden in her final days.
Ida stressed that the family had little time to process the loss of Raila before facing Beryl’s death. She described the rapid succession of these tragedies as leaving the Odinga family profoundly shaken and emotionally drained.
She appealed to the public to respect the family’s grief, noting that the constant public expectations had only added to their pain.
Ida emphasized that their mourning process required space and understanding during this difficult period.
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