Ida Odinga: I stopped Raila from seeing Beryl in her condition because I knew it would kill him
Ida Odinga has disclosed that she made the deliberate decision to stop her late husband, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, from seeing his sister Beryl Achieng Odinga in her final days, fearing the sight of her condition would break him emotionally.
Speaking during Beryl’s burial on Saturday, December 6, 2025, Ida recounted the deeply painful moments leading up to the loss of both siblings just weeks apart, noting that the family had been struck by a level of grief that has left them struggling to cope.
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Ida explained that Beryl had returned to Kenya from Zimbabwe and was working in Nairobi when her health began to deteriorate.
“So, towards the end, when Beryl had come back to Kenya from Zimbabwe and was working in town, Beryl fell sick. I went to see her in the hospital, and she could not talk, and she had many gadgets on her, and I was very disappointed. And there I found her children,” Ida said.
She recalled visiting her in hospital and finding her so unwell that she was unable to speak, surrounded by several medical gadgets, and in the presence of her children, an experience that shocked her profoundly.
Ida noted that the sight of Beryl’s condition immediately convinced her that Raila should not visit the hospital, saying she feared the emotional toll it would have had on him, given the unusually close bond the two shared.
“So when I went back home, I told Raila, ‘Don’t go and see Beryl now; she is not okay,’ because I did not want Raila to see Beryl in that condition, because I knew it would kill him, because they were very close,” she shared.
She added that when Raila later travelled to India for treatment, where he eventually died, she instructed family members not to inform Beryl of his passing, explaining that she wanted to shield her from distress during an already fragile period.
She further revealed that she chose not to return to see Beryl after Raila’s death, stating that she knew she would not withstand the pain of facing her while still grappling with her own grief.
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Ida said that despite her efforts, the news of Raila’s passing ultimately reached Beryl, a development she believes added to the emotional weight surrounding her final days.
“So when Raila went to India for treatment, where he died, I told the family again, ‘Don’t tell Beryl that Raila has died.’ I don’t know whether they kept that promise, but personally, I remember I did not want to go and see her, because I knew I would not stand the pain,” Ida said.
Ida emphasised that the family has barely had time to process Raila’s death before being confronted with Beryl’s passing, observing that the rapid succession of the two losses has left the Odinga family deeply shaken.
She appealed to the public to allow them the space to grieve, stressing that the pain they are carrying is immense and that constant expectations placed on the family have only added to their burden.
“But somehow, someone must have revealed the news of Raila’s passing to her. And today, we are here sending Beryl to go and be with her Maker, soon after we had just sent Raila. I have not had time, as I am still mourning Raila and now mourning Beryl,” the widow said.
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Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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