NAIROBI, Kenya — Siaya Senator Dr Oburu Odinga on Friday delivered a heartfelt yet light-hearted tribute to his late brother, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, during a moving national funeral service at Nyayo Stadium.
Speaking with visible emotion, Oburu described Raila as far more than just a sibling — calling him his confidant, adviser, and lifelong companion.
“He was my friend, my age-mate, my adviser, and my confidant — he was everything, including a business partner,” Oburu said. “We grew up together more or less as twins because the difference between us is only one year and two months.”
The senator revealed that Raila’s passing came on a deeply personal day — his own birthday.
“Unfortunately, my brother passed on my birthday — October 15, 1943,” he said solemnly.
Oburu remembered Raila as a principled man who valued truth and discipline, recounting with humour how his brother’s impatience with dishonesty was sometimes expressed physically.
“If you came across him with lies or mediocrity, his left hand was very fast — he could give you something to teach you that you must always be truthful,” he joked, drawing laughter from mourners.
He described Raila as a fearless protector of his family and a man who often took the lead in confronting their challenges.
“He was braver in confronting anyone who attacked us,” Oburu said.
Despite being the elder of the two, Oburu acknowledged Raila as his political mentor and leader — a relationship that shaped his own public life.
Following the ODM party’s decision to name him as Raila’s successor, Oburu pledged to honour his brother’s memory through service and unity.
“I promise you I will not disappoint, even though Raila’s shoes are too big to fill,” he said.
In a lighter moment that momentarily lifted the sombre mood, Oburu ended his tribute with a humorous introduction of his two wives, drawing roars of laughter from the packed stadium.
“If I don’t introduce them to you, they might feel jealous and refuse to give me food,” he quipped.
He first introduced his first wife, Dr Ann Ayoo Oburu, a paediatrician, saying fondly, “This is the lady who took me out of boyhood.”
Turning to his second wife, he added to more laughter:
“She is Judith Oburu — she works with NSSF and is a qualified accountant. I thought that at my age, I didn’t want Ann to scratch me or massage me, so I brought her a helper.”
The moment, filled with warmth and laughter, reflected the Odinga family’s enduring spirit — a blend of love, humour, and resilience even in mourning.
