Appeared on 20th October 2025 on People Daily
Not yet Uhuru– Jaramogi Ajuma Oginga Odinga penned the famous masterpiece in 1967. He had served as the first vice president of Kenya from 12 December 1964 to 14 April 1966 when resigned. He believed that despite the white man ceasing governing the country, we had only attained a ‘’flag independence’’ with the white oppressors replaced by black masters.
He relinquished his Vice-President seat since he did not agree with Jomo Kenyatta’s leadership ideology. Odinga favored socialism while Kenyatta was in favor of capitalism and this led to Odinga resigning from his post and quitting KANU in 1966 to form the Kenya People’s Union (KPU). The bad blood worsened and in 1969, when Kenyatta went to open the Nyanza General Hospital christened Russian Hospital, a tiff occurred leading to killing of many people in what is known as the Kisumu Massacre. Consequently, KPU was banned making Kenya a one Party State. Jaramogi was detained along with other KPU members for eighteen months until the Government made decision to free him on 27 March 1971.He stayed away from politics until after Kenyatta’s death in August 1978. When Daniel Moi assumed power, he appointed Jaramogi to the state corporation job but later quit since he saw Moi as following the footsteps (Nyayo). Jaramogi attempted to register a political party in 1982, which was rejected as it was against the constitution. Apprantly, the same year, a coup against Moi took place and Jaramogi was later placed under detention for the second time. In all these, Jaramogi faced a sustained hate campaign by his tormentors to tarnish his name politically.
Oburu Odinga, Jaramogi’s elder son, for instance, scored straight “A” grades in national primary examinations of 1960, but was denied admission at the prestigious Alliance High School because in the words of the head teacher Francis Carey, “like his father, he would poison the student body.” Despite Jaramogi physically facing Carey, his former staff mate at Maseno School, the request was turned down. Further attempts to persuade the then head of state, Sir Everlyn Baring, the matter went sour after all head teachers in prestigious schools were cautioned against admitting Jaramogi’s son. Its only when Jaramogi clandestinely got a Ghanaian passport through his friend, Kwame Nkrumah. A cheeky plan to sneak him to Britain through Ethiopia almost backfired when he was arrested after the colonial authorities petitioned Emperor Haille Sellasie. Jaramogi got a truce with the Emperor who diffused the matter. Oburu proceeded to Russia through London for his studies. Why torture such a young man?
Raila Odinga, a scion of Jaramogi faced many tribulations especially when he was accused of joining his father to mastermind the failed 1982 coup. He was badly tortured with the impact lasting and associated with his poor health that might have contributed to his complications in his last days. He was taken to Kamiti Maximum Prison on a capital offence charge. In the prison, which lasted six years, Raila faced many troubles. He also suffered poor health due to poor diet and hygiene in Kamiti. In August 1988 shortly after his first release, he was rearrested and detained until June 1989. To avoid a third possible incarceration, Raila had to flee the country and lived in exile for a number of years. The psychological toll of his detention was equally profound. Odinga endured prolonged periods of solitary confinement in dark, flooded cells, starvation, and restrictions on family contact.
After the husband’s arrest and incarceration, Raila’s wife, Ida Odinga, a teacher by profession was targeted by the state machineries who got her sacked and thrown out the teachers’ quarters she was residing in on a short notice despite nursing very young children. This was too much for one family, on a short notice.
At the same period, Raila’s mother sadly passed away when he was in prison and the Prison Authorities callously informed him many days later. The question is, might the psychological influence on her mental health contributed to her poor health and death? Most likely yes because imagine a son and husband in incarceration, daughter in law harassed and other children haunted by the state mercenaries like terrorists.
Ruth Odinga, the current Women Representative of Kisumu County, had to temporarily stop schooling. The two main reasons were, her father’s bank accounts had been frozen and businesses shut. Two of his brothers, Raila and Oburu, despite their high and prestigious levels of education could not get jobs due to perceived connections with communist countries. At one point, she said that she had to sell mangoes in Kisumu to raise school fees, which was nevertheless, enough.
Berryl Odinga, another child of Jaramogi, faced it rough because of being a member of the Jaramogi family. She was seen as a participant in activities that were deemed political in nature. Like her sister, she had to abandon school and go to exile thanks to her father’s connections. One morning her father, possibly aware of surveillance on his family, Beryl left their house disguising as someone who had gone to purchase household goods, disappeared with the help of her father’s connections, and ended up in Zimbabwe.
There must have been more family members who suffered physically and psychologically as obviously pain of one family member caused distress to the rest. As the nation come to terms with the death of Raila Odinga, Kenyans must also pay tribute to the whole Jaramogi family for the tribulations they went through. This was just too much for one family that endured pain, for the rest of us to enjoy democracy, rights and other freedoms.
Since Not yet Uhuru and for this country to heal, lets promote and protect the rule of law, constitution and human rights to honor the Odinga family sacrifices.
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