Saturday, May 16, 2026 - Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme, Mama Ida Odinga, has dismissed comments made by Treasury Cabinet Secretary, John Mbadi, regarding her late husband and former ODM leader, Raila Odinga, insisting that his legacy remains untouchable.
“Physically, they are gone, and sometimes I hear people
asking, ‘Where are they now?’ but we are not worried.”
“Sometimes politicians get very excited because they think
that he is gone, and therefore nothing.”
“We learn from the history that they’ve left behind,” she
stated.
Quoting Shakespeare, she noted that “no life lives forever,
and a dead man rises never,” while referencing Prof Mbithi’s writings on the
“living dead.”
She explained that Raila, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and other
great leaders remain alive in spirit through the memories of those who continue
to mention their names.
"Shakespeare
said no life lives forever, and a dead man rises never, but at the same time,
Prof Mbithi's book on African religious studies, he says that so long as people
are remembering you and mentioning your name, then you are the living dead.”
"When
he talks about the living dead, I think he is talking about Raila, Jaramogi and
the great people who have left us physically, but their spirit is here with
us," Mama Ida said.
EALA MP, Winnie Odinga, also weighed in, criticizing Mbadi
for suggesting ODM should move on after Raila’s death.
Winnie told the Treasury CS to stop politicizing his office
and instead focus on improving the economy.
“The Treasury is not a political seat. He should talk less
and deliver more. Kenyans are struggling, and the Treasury must prioritize
solutions,” she said.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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