The air was heavy with grief and reverence at Nyayo National Stadium as Winnie Odinga stood to deliver the eulogy for her late father, Raila Odinga. Her speech was not that of a politician but of a heartbroken daughter, offering a deeply personal glimpse into the life of the man the world knew as a leader.
Addressing the thousands of mourners, Winnie opened by expressing the impossible weight of her loss.
“I don’t know who I will miss more, My Dad or My Super hero.”
She described herself and her siblings (the late Fidel, Rosemary, and Junior) as the four luckiest people in the world because he was their father. He was, to them, “a light, steady and yielding and deeply human.”
Winnie humorously recounted the many monikers her father acquired over his long career. Aluo (his name while she was growing up), Jaramogi’s son, Tinga, Agwambo, Nyundo (briefly), Jakom, Baba Fidel, Baba, but stressed that to her, he was always simply ‘Dad.’
She noted that his presence was so commanding it could “freeze rooms around the world.”
Winnie shared a poignant, almost unbelievable detail from her father’s will, his wish to be buried within 72 hours of his passing.
“When I learned in your will that you were to be buried in 72 hours, I laughed. Good old Dad, testing and planning for all of us, even beyond the grave.”
She then mimicked her father’s distinctive, booming laugh, bringing a moment of much-needed light to the sombre occasion.
Winnie turned to the profound lessons she learned from him about patriotism and duty. She emphasised that his commitment to the nation was one of action and sacrifice.
“The love for country is not just in words but in sacrifice.”, “Justice must be pursued even when the path is lonely.”, and “True leadership is service and not power.”
Acknowledging the despair felt by his supporters, she offered a message of hope: “Take heart because he left a plan for you too.” She promised that his family would rise together in his honour.”
Winnie shared details about her father’s passing, countering rumours that had been circulating on social media. She revealed she was with him in India when he passed away.
“I was with him in India when he took his final breath. He died in my arms.”
She insisted he “died strong, with dignity and with pride,” and was physically active until the very end, “Every day he was waking up and walking… that morning he would push to 5 rounds.”
Winnie concluded with a powerful chant and a final, defiant statement:
“The King is dead, but long live the crown. Jowi! Jowi! Jowi! Rest in peace Dad. Asante.”
The eulogy was a fitting tribute to a giant, delivered with the strength, grace, and raw emotion of a daughter saying goodbye.
