Mama Ngina Visits Ida Odinga As The Kenyattas Pay Tribute To Raila

Kenya, 31 October 2025 – Former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta on Thursday spearheaded a delegation from the larger Kenyatta family to offer condolences to the Odinga family, following the demise of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The gesture highlighted the enduring historical and political bonds between two of Kenya's most influential dynasties.

Mama Ngina, accompanied by her son Muhoho Kenyatta and other relatives, spent time with Mama Ida, her daughter Winnie Odinga, and additional members of the Odinga household at their Opoda home in Bondo.

The families shared reminiscences as the Kenyattas paid homage to [Raila] Odinga, who gained admiration among Kenyans for his desire for the country to be on the front-row on democratic principles.

Odinga died on 15 October 2025 while he was undergoing treatment in India.

During the visit, the reflected on the profound links that have united them since the dawn of Kenya's independence movement.

In the course of the visit, Mama Ngina conveyed her sympathies and support to the Odingas, stressing the value of solidarity and familial backing in times of sorrow.

She observed that the Kenyatta and Odinga families have traversed a lengthy path in Kenya's political and social narrative, founded on mutual regard even through spells of political discord.

The rapport between the families traces back to the pre-independence period. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the father to Raila, was a key figure in Kenya's liberation struggle and played a crucial part in campaigning for Jomo Kenyatta's release from colonial imprisonment in the early 1960s.

Jaramogi notably refused to assume leadership until Kenyatta was liberated, a noble move that catapulted Kenyatta to be inaugurated as Kenya's first Prime Minister and later its first President.

Jaramogi would become Kenya's first Vice President.

That act forged an unbreakable tie between the Kenyatta and Odinga families, embodying unity and selflessness in the nation's nascent years.

Although political rifts later arose between Mzee Kenyatta and Jaramogi, their descendants have preserved amicable relations over the decades.

On her part, Mama Ida expressed gratitude to Mama Ngina and her kin for their backing and support as they continue to come to terms.

She remarked that the visit was profoundly valued and reinforced her Mama Ngina's dedication to upholding the longstanding camaraderie between the two families.

Winnie on her part mirrored her mother's views.

"Families' connection surpasses politics and is anchored in a common national heritage," Winnie said.

Former president Uhuru Kenyatta, Mama Ngina's son, attended Raila Odinga's burial at Kang'o ka Jaramogi in Bondo and the following morning on 20 October 2025, he returned to his grave just to reflect yet again.

Despite previous political rivalry, on March 9, 2018, Raila and Kenyatta brokered a peace deal dubbed "the Handshake".

They collaborated closely on issues of national cohesion and reconciliation, a move that signalled a pivotal shift in Kenya's political arena.

The Kenyatta family's display of unity has been broadly interpreted as a reaffirmation of the lasting connections between two families whose forebears shaped Kenya's independence and post-colonial governance.

The Thursday gathering stood as a poignant reminder of the strength of reconciliation, respect, and unity – principles that have characterised their relationship for over six decades.