Ida Odinga has recalled President William Ruto’s support for her late husband, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, during the political turmoil that followed Kenya’s disputed 2007 presidential election, saying the two leaders’ relationship stretched back decades before their later political partnership.
Speaking on Wednesday during the dedication and handover of the Raila Odinga Mausoleum in Bondo, Siaya County, Ida thanked Ruto for attending the ceremony and paying tribute to Raila, while recalling periods when the two were political rivals but still found common ground on matters affecting the country.
“Your Excellency, the President, thank you for being here, for honoring Raila and our family with your presence. You and Raila competed fiercely in politics, but there were also moments when you found a way to speak, to work together, and when you believed the country required it,” Ida said.
She then pointed to the aftermath of the 2007 presidential election, when Raila challenged the declaration of Mwai Kibaki as the winner, saying Ruto had strongly defended him during the dispute.
“I remember that after the elections of 2007, you defended him. Yes, many people, I don't know whether they remember. You defended him very strongly. Thank you for that.”
Ida said the episode showed that the relationship between Ruto and Raila did not begin with the political handshake that brought them together after years of confrontation.
“So, when I see you, maybe some of you may think that you just started with the handshake, but you started long, long time ago. Thank you for being there all the time,” she said.
A relationship that predates the handshake
Kenya held its general election on December 27, 2007, with Raila running for president on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket against incumbent Mwai Kibaki of the Party of National Unity (PNU).
The contest was closely fought, and the Electoral Commission of Kenya declared Kibaki the winner on December 30. The opposition disputed the results, raising concerns over irregularities in the tallying process.
The disputed outcome was followed by violence in different parts of the country, with deaths, displacement, destruction of property and reports of abuses involving supporters of the rival political camps.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights estimates that about 1,500 people were killed and more than 600,000 displaced, while the Waki Commission documented 1,133 deaths during the violence between December 2007 and February 2008.
The crisis eventually led to talks between the two political sides, with mediation led by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the African Union Panel of Eminent African Personalities. The talks culminated in an agreement signed by Kibaki and Raila on February 28, 2008, creating a power-sharing government in which Kibaki remained president and Raila became prime minister.
Ida’s recollection places Ruto’s relationship with Raila within this wider period of political shifts, alliances and attempts to resolve the crisis.
She also reflected on Raila’s long political career and his ability to maintain relationships with people who had at various times been his strongest political opponents.
“There are people here who stood by Raila for many years, while others competed against him or strongly disagreed with him. Some were old friends, others former political opponents. To understand Kenyan politics is, in many ways, to understand Raila, because despite their differences, they ultimately found a way to come together. And today, you are all welcome,” she said.
Ida recalls life with Raila
Ida also used the occasion to reflect on her more than five decades with Raila, saying she knew him not only as a political leader but also as her husband, the father of her children, a grandfather and a friend.
She thanked those who took part in the construction of the mausoleum, recalling that she initially doubted whether the project could be completed within three months.
“When you mentioned, when I was told that you(KDF) were going to build the mausoleum, and it was going to be done in a record time of three months, I thought it was unbelievable,” she said.
The mausoleum handover comes ahead of the October 15 memorial marking one year since Raila’s death.
Ida said the family was preparing for a solemn commemoration and welcomed Raila’s friends, supporters and other Kenyans to attend the memorial.
“I know we are looking forward to having a memorial on the 15th of this month. As Winnie said, all are welcome. You are all welcome. Please, it will be a solemn memorial of somebody we know, somebody we love,” she concluded.