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| Mama Ida Odinga |
A brief disruption occurred on Saturday, December 6, during the funeral service of the late Beryl Odinga in Bondo, prompting Mama Ida Odinga to intervene and call a section of mourners to order.
The event, attended by political figures and family members, was interrupted when a group of young mourners outside the main tent began making noise as tributes were being delivered.
The disturbance led Ida Odinga to rise from her seat and address the rowdy group directly.
“I hope, excuse me, can you be quiet a little… Young people outside the tent. Can you hear me?” she said, urging them to maintain calm.
Ida condemned the behaviour, stating that the funeral was not a platform for political activity. Speaking on behalf of the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga family, she reminded the mourners to respect the solemnity of the occasion.
“My name is Ida Odinga, and I'm talking on behalf of Jaramogi Odinga’s family… Let us send our sister in peace. We are not interested in your politics,” she said. She added that anyone unwilling to remain orderly should leave the venue.
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| Mama Ida Odinga |
Addressing reports that some of the noisy attendees were students from Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), Ida noted that this did not entitle them to disrupt the ceremony.
“That does not give you the right to come and disorganise our sister’s funeral,” she stated.
Beryl Odinga, who passed away on November 25, will be laid to rest at her ancestral home in Kang’o Ka Jaramogi. Her burial at her natal home follows her separation from her late husband, former Gem MP Aggrey Ambala.
According to Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga’s memoir, In The Shadow of My Father, Beryl faced domestic challenges during her marriage, prompting her brother Raila Odinga to intervene.
She later left the marriage with her two children and relocated to Zimbabwe, where she was granted asylum and worked in public service in Harare.
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