Ida Odinga: Pillar behind Raila's chequered legacy

Ida Odinga: Pillar behind Raila’s chequered legacy (Photo: Standard/ File)

Ida was born on 24 August 1950 in Migori County. She grew up in a family that valued education, discipline and service. Her mother, Rosa Oyoo, was Kenya’s first Black nurse and was trained at the King African Rifles Hospital, which later became Kenyatta National Hospital. Her father was a respected doctor in Kisii.

Excellence was expected in their home, not requested. “My mother was a pioneer and that shaped how I viewed the world. She taught me that women can do anything if they work hard enough, even when the world doesn’t expect them to,” Ida once said.