NAIROBI, Kenya — Beryl Achieng Odinga, the younger sister of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and a pioneering professional in Kenya and Zimbabwe, has died while receiving treatment at a Nairobi hospital.
Her passing on Tuesday closes the chapter on a life marked by resilience, public service, and groundbreaking achievements in urban governance.
Born into one of Kenya’s most prominent political families, Beryl charted her own path across borders and professions.
After completing her Form Six studies in 1972, she trained as a teacher before transitioning into law and public administration.
Her move to Zimbabwe proved transformative, both personally and professionally.
In the early years of Zimbabwe’s independence, Beryl became the first black Town Clerk of Mutare, the country’s third-largest city — a historic appointment that positioned her at the heart of post-colonial urban restructuring.
She later served as Company Secretary at the Housing Corporation of Zimbabwe, deepening her footprint in the country’s housing and planning sector.
Her personal journey was shaped by hardship. As recounted in Raila Odinga’s biography, The Flame of Freedom, Beryl endured an abusive marriage to Otieno Ambala, an aspiring politician who died in 1985 while at Kodiaga Prison.
In the 1980s, she fled Kenya with her children and sought asylum in Zimbabwe, where she rebuilt her career under the Ministry of Local Government.
There, she made some of her most lasting contributions. Beryl was instrumental in developing the Chitungwiza Town Planning Policy, which guided the town’s growth, curbed unregulated peri-urban settlements, and influenced urban design for decades.
She later served as Town Planning Director at the Chitungwiza Town Council, cementing her reputation as a leading urban development strategist.
Beryl maintained strong ties to Kenya throughout her career. In 2020, then Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko appointed her to the board of the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company.
During an October 2023 birthday celebration for her brother, Senator Oburu Odinga, she recalled being classmates with national leaders, including Kalonzo Musyoka and Anyang’ Nyong’o, reflecting a lifelong connection to Kenya’s political and intellectual circles.
Her death has robbed both Kenya and Zimbabwe of a visionary planner whose work reshaped cities and expanded opportunities for women in governance.
