Ida Odinga, wife of Raila Odinga, faced years of persecution under the government of President Daniel arap Moi following her husband’s detention in 1982. Her life changed dramatically after the failed coup that led to Raila’s arrest and long imprisonment without trial.
Shortly after Raila’s arrest, Ida was evicted from her staff house at Kenya High School, where she worked as a teacher. The eviction was carried out in broad daylight as students and staff watched, leaving her and her children homeless. Soon after, she was dismissed from her teaching job without explanation, an act widely seen as punishment for being married to a government critic.
The difficulties did not end there. Ida struggled to find work as most public institutions avoided hiring her because of her husband’s political status. She later secured a job in the Ministry of Education’s Schools Inspection Department, but that position was also terminated after she was photographed with mothers of political prisoners during their campaign for the release of their sons.
Throughout this period, the Odinga family lived under constant surveillance. Ida was followed, questioned, and denied basic freedoms. Her family was branded an enemy of the state, and even her children faced challenges enrolling in schools.
Despite the harassment, Ida Odinga continued to demand her husband’s release. She filed court petitions, wrote letters, and joined peaceful protests, even as the state increased its intimidation. At one point, she was detained briefly and interrogated over her communication with Raila while he was in prison.
The persecution left Ida to raise her children alone amid financial strain and public hostility. Her resilience and refusal to bow to pressure made her one of the most respected women in Kenya’s fight for democracy
How Ida Odinga Was Persecuted for Being Married to Raila Odinga
Ida Odinga, wife of Raila Odinga, faced years of persecution under the government of President Daniel arap Moi following her husband’s detention in 1982. Her life changed dramatically after the failed coup that led to Raila’s arrest and long imprisonment without trial.
Shortly after Raila’s arrest, Ida was evicted from her staff house at Kenya High School, where she worked as a teacher. The eviction was carried out in broad daylight as students and staff watched, leaving her and her children homeless. Soon after, she was dismissed from her teaching job without explanation, an act widely seen as punishment for being married to a government critic.
The difficulties did not end there. Ida struggled to find work as most public institutions avoided hiring her because of her husband’s political status. She later secured a job in the Ministry of Education’s Schools Inspection Department, but that position was also terminated after she was photographed with mothers of political prisoners during their campaign for the release of their sons.
Throughout this period, the Odinga family lived under constant surveillance. Ida was followed, questioned, and denied basic freedoms. Her family was branded an enemy of the state, and even her children faced challenges enrolling in schools.
Despite the harassment, Ida Odinga continued to demand her husband’s release. She filed court petitions, wrote letters, and joined peaceful protests, even as the state increased its intimidation. At one point, she was detained briefly and interrogated over her communication with Raila while he was in prison.
The persecution left Ida to raise her children alone amid financial strain and public hostility. Her resilience and refusal to bow to pressure made her one of the most respected women in Kenya’s fight for democracy
