They say ‘you will remain a child to your mother’. This phrase underscores the strong bond that exist between a mother and her children. It emphasises a mothers unwavering love and support for her child(ren), regardless of their age.

The phrase was at play at the Tom Mboya University in Homa Bay Town on Monday, August 11, when Mama Ida Odinga, the spouse of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, came to pick up her daughter, Winnie Odinga, who had attended a high-profile event at the institution.

But this was not a normal pick-up, at least not to the normal mwananchi. Mama Ida landed at the varsity grounds on a blue-coloured chopper. I was at the Tom Mboya University covering the event, hosted by Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, and at first we thought, ‘well, maybe Raila has decided to make an impromptu appearance’.

At the time, Winnie had been conversing with wananchi on the sidelines of the event, and her body language indicated that she was the only one not perturbed by the landing helicopter.

After a moment, and sandwiched between Governor Wanga and other leaders who had graced the Hackathon event, Winnie majestically walked towards the chopper. A quick glance inside the chopper, and there was no Raila, only a smiling Mama Ida on the co-pilot area. While she was chatting with Governor Wanga, Winnie would board the chopper, and before we knew it all, people were cleared to give the machine ample time to take off.

Indeed, Mama Ida had only stopped by to pick up her daughter.

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That aside, the day saw the #Innovate254 Hackathon conclude with a high-energy award ceremony at Tom Mboya University, honouring the bright young innovators in three categories: Ideation, Prototype, and Ready to Market.

After an intense 48-hour AI solutions development sprint, winners walked away with a share of KSh2.25 million in prizes, rewarding creativity, problem-solving, and market-ready solutions.

Governor Wanga said that this “momentous finale proves that #DevCon2025 is a launchpad for youth inclusion, innovation, and empowerment.”