Born to Kenya’s first Vice President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and Mary Juma Odinga, Raila Amolo Odinga’s destiny was foreordained to become intertwined with that of the nation.
Politics, principle, and the unyielding belief that Kenya could do better enveloped him from infancy.
Raila’s relatives like himself, have been part of his life and legacy.
His older brother, Senator Dr. Oburu Odinga, who is the current Senator for Siaya County, has been with him in public service.
His sister, Ruth Odinga, has also left an impression in politics as Kisumu’s Deputy Governor.
At its heart was his wife, Ida Odinga a determined, poised woman with a history of service in business and education, and in standing by Raila through political storms that lasted decades.
Together they had a family that has carried on both the name and the values of the Odinga tradition.
The Odinga Children
Fidel Odinga (1973–2015)
The eldest son of Raila, Fidel Castro Odinga, was always believed to be the one most capable of assuming his dad’s political trajectory.
He was charming and ambitious and carried the family name with humility and bravery.
His sudden death on January 4, 2015, at his residence in Nairobi shocked the nation. Fidel had been partying late into the night with friends and was found unconscious the following morning.
Before he passed away, Fidel was married twice first to Veronica Wanjiru Nganga in 2007, whom he divorced in 2011, and later to Lwam Gatachew Bekele, an Eritrean national and they welcomed a son in July of 2013.
Rosemary Odinga
Born on 13th August 1977, Rosemary is the first of Raila and Ida’s children a resilient woman who has known her own share of struggles.
A passionate youth and women’s empowerment advocate, Rosemary would previously work alongside her father’s campaign bodies in 2007 and 2013, mobilizing young voters and advocating for civic engagement.
In 2017, she was set to run for the seat of Kibera Constituency, but her political aspirations were nipped in the bud following a near-death experience from an illness that impacted her eyesight.
Throughout this, Rosemary has been a testament to resilience and belief, frequently terming her comeback as a second opportunity at life.
Winnie Odinga
The youngest member of the family, Winnie Odinga, March 6, 1990, is known for being outspoken and sharp-tongued.
Having graduated from Rusinga School and Brookhouse, and later at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied Corporate Communication and International Business, Winnie has become one of Raila’s most intimate friends.
Always in the shadow of her father at political rallies, Winnie is now an omnipresent figure in Kenyan politics.
In 2022, she was selected by ODM to represent Kenya in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) an act that symbolized the next generation of Odinga leadership taking their place on the continent.
Raila Odinga Junior
Born in 1979, Raila Junior has pursued a different line out of politics his media and business creative industries have thrived.
A University of Wales and University of Leeds graduate in Accounting and Finance, Junior is a CEO of media production company at Creative Hub.
While less politically vocal than his brothers, he has established himself as a thoughtful, thoughtful voice in the public sphere regularly using social media to share observations on business, family, and matters of national interest.
He is married with children of his own and embodies the Odinga dynasty in modern, entrepreneurial form.
A Family Beyond Politics
Behind the speeches, rallies, and decades of political headlines, the Odinga family remains bound by faith, resilience, and a shared love for Kenya.
From Jaramogi’s vision of independence to Raila’s lifelong push for democracy, and now to the new generation forging its own paths the Odingas have remained an enduring symbol of leadership and service.