Wanga hails Beryl Odinga for becoming Zimbabwe’s first Black town clerk
By Ascah Mwango, December 6, 2025Homa Bay County Governor Gladys Wanga has hailed Beryl Achieng Odinga as a trailblazer who broke barriers for women both in Kenya and abroad.
Speaking on Saturday, December 6, 2025, during Beryl’s burial ceremony in Bondo, Wanga described her as a woman of many facets and a leader in her own right.
Wanga highlighted Beryl’s remarkable achievement as the first Black town clerk in Mutare, Zimbabwe, noting that she held key positions in both Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Her career, Wanga said, proved that women can lead and excel across borders. Reflecting on Beryl’s dedication and humility, Wanga suggested she could deserve posthumous recognition as a senior counsel.
“Tunayemsindikiza leo is a woman of many facets, and a leader in her own right. As it was said, she was the first town clerk, not in her own land, in a far land of Zimbabwe. The positions she held in Zimbabwe and in Kenya demonstrated that women can lead, women can do. During Oburu Oginga’s 80th birthday, Raila introduced her as a very quiet woman.
She stood up and talked about her career. I saw the other day a list was made of senior counsels, as a woman who achieved much, I thought, wasn’t it possible for her to be conferred a title of senior counsel for the titles she carried. Even now, she can be conferred that title posthumously. Beryl Achieng carried power with humility,” Wanga expressed.
Beryl Achieng Odinga passed away on November 25, 2025, at a Nairobi hospital, where she had been receiving treatment. She was 78 years old. Despite being part of one of Kenya’s most prominent political families, Beryl lived a life mostly away from the public spotlight, focusing on her career in public administration.
Her professional achievements included leadership roles in urban administration in both Zimbabwe and Kenya. She was known for carrying power with humility, a quality praised by Wanga during the ceremony.
The burial is set to take place at the family’s ancestral cemetery, Kang’o ka Jaramogi, in Bondo, Siaya County. A requiem mass was held on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at the Consolata Shrine in Westlands, Nairobi, attended by family, friends, and well-wishers.