Ida Odinga has recalled the painful morning she learnt of her husband Raila Odinga’s death, describing how a reassuring conversation the previous evening gave her no reason to expect that he would die hours later. The former Prime Minister’s wife said she first received information that something was wrong from his sister before their daughter, Winnie Odinga, called to explain that Raila had collapsed in India and was being rushed for emergency care.
Speaking during a media interview, Ida said the last time she spoke to Raila, their conversation gave no indication that he was facing a health crisis. They discussed everyday matters, and nothing in their exchange raised concern about his condition.
“The evening before he passed on, we talked a lot, and we were talking about ordinary things; there was no alarm, and there was nothing that could suggest he was unwell,” she said.
Ida explained that Raila had also assured her that he was feeling well, making it difficult to anticipate the events that unfolded the following morning.
“He assured me he was very fine; there was nothing wrong,” she recalled.
Her account of the morning began with a phone call from Raila’s sister, Dr Akinyi, who asked her to reach out to Ruth Odinga, another of his sisters who was in India with him.
Akinyi told Ida that there appeared to be a problem and asked her to establish what was happening. Ida attempted to contact Ruth but could not get through to her.
She then called Winnie, who was also in India and was in a position to provide an update on her father’s condition.
Winnie told her that Raila had collapsed while out taking a walk and that people around him were trying to resuscitate him. The family was still awaiting developments as medical efforts continued.
According to Ida, Winnie explained that her father was being taken to the intensive care unit (ICU), where attempts to revive him were ongoing.
“She said he was taking a walk and he collapsed, but they are trying to resuscitate him. She said they were taking him to ICU, and they were trying to resuscitate him, but I’ll keep you informed,” Ida recounted.
The initial update was followed by an even more painful call. About 10 minutes later, Winnie contacted her mother again, this time to inform her that Raila had died.
Ida recalled that her daughter used the words “We’ve lost the battle” before telling her that her father was gone.
“Ten minutes later, Winnie calls me and tells me, ‘We’ve lost the battle.’ She said Dad is gone, and that is how I received the news,” Ida said.
As she narrated the experience, Ida became tearful while remembering how quickly the situation had changed. Just hours earlier, she had spoken to her husband and heard him say that he was fine; by the following morning, she was receiving news of his collapse and death.
The sudden loss made the experience particularly difficult for her, with the events unfolding so soon after what had appeared to be an ordinary conversation between them.
“It was not easy,” she said.
Raila died in India on October 15, 2025, after travelling there for medical treatment. His death brought an end to a political career that spanned decades and saw him remain one of Kenya’s most prominent political figures.
He served as Prime Minister between 2008 and 2013 and continued to play a major role in the country’s political life long after leaving the office.
Ida’s recollection, shared a year after his death, centres on the personal moments surrounding the loss rather than his public career. She described how their final conversation left her reassured, how the first call raised concerns about his condition, and how a second call from Winnie confirmed that he was gone.
The sequence of events remains a painful memory for the family, particularly for Ida, who had no warning during their last conversation that she would receive the news of her husband’s death the next morning.