KISUMU, Kenya — Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has appealed for peace and dignity as the Odinga family prepares to bury her sister, Beryl Odinga, whose death has stirred both grief and cultural debate within the wider Luo community.
Addressing mourners on Friday, Ruth urged all those travelling to offer condolences and attend today’s burial in Bondo to honour Beryl’s memory by upholding calm.
“Beryl was a peaceful woman full of decorum. Kindly let us uphold peace,” she said. “I would urge anybody who’s coming to mourn with us to please let us bury Beryl with the kind of peace she liked and the peace she loved.”
Beryl’s body arrived at Kisumu International Airport on Friday morning, where a brief mass was held before the family departed for their rural home in Bondo. She passed away on November 25, 2025, while receiving treatment at a Nairobi hospital.
The younger sister of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Beryl leaves behind a distinguished legacy marked by professional achievements across Kenya and Zimbabwe. Family members described her as a trailblazer whose life touched multiple spheres and communities.
Beryl will be laid to rest at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, the Odinga family home.
The decision, which departs from traditional Luo customs that require married women to be buried at their marital homes, has attracted public discussion.
However, Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga clarified that while the burial location differs from custom, all other traditional rites will be observed.
“We know our traditions, and we respect them. Our sister will be buried with her head facing the gate, as the culture requires,” he said.
Oburu explained that the choice of burial site follows guidance from the family patriarch, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who designated a specific area within the homestead as the final resting place for all family members.
“The world has changed, and land is no longer what it used to be. Our father showed us where every member of the family should be buried. We are simply following that guidance,” he added.
He stressed that the family was not discarding cultural norms but adapting them thoughtfully to evolving circumstances.
“We are not abandoning our culture, and we are not throwing away our sisters,” he said, noting that contemporary homesteads and land patterns differ significantly from the traditional settings that informed old customs.
Ruth Odinga reiterated that the family’s focus is ensuring Beryl receives a dignified, peaceful farewell that reflects the values she lived by.
