NAIROBI, Kenya, October 15 — Ida Odinga has urged Kenyans to uphold peace, love and tolerance as the country heads towards the 2027 General Election, calling on supporters to honour her late husband Raila Odinga’s legacy by rejecting political violence and respecting opposing views.
Speaking during commemorations marking the first anniversary of Raila’s death, his widow asked Kenyans to embrace three values she described as gifts in his memory: peace, tolerance and love.
“I want to ask you for three gifts in his memory. I don’t want to ask for more. I want to ask for three gifts,” Ida told mourners.
“First, I would like to ask for the gift of peace. Peace is not the absence of noise. It is the presence of respect. No victory is worth a mother’s tears. Please, let’s try to hold peace in our nation,” she said.
Her appeal comes as political activity builds ahead of the 2027 elections, with Ida warning that political competition should not turn Kenyans against one another.
She said Raila had demonstrated that political disagreements did not have to prevent people from engaging with their opponents or reconciling after elections.
“Baba held his conviction fiercely. Yet he sat across the table from those opposing him and disagreed with him,” she said, urging Kenyans not to regard political rivals as personal enemies.
Ida said tolerance was particularly important in a democracy where citizens hold different political views but remain part of the same country.
“If you think that somebody’s your enemy, that enemy should not stop you from loving him again, because Baba did that over and over again,” she said.
She also called for love and forgiveness, recalling how Raila had forgiven people who had wronged him.
“Love is what we say to your rivals: ‘You are not my choice, but you are still my countryman,’” she said.
Ida directed a special message to young people, urging them not to allow their political loyalties to fuel hostility or violence against those who hold different opinions.
“Do not let your passion turn into a weapon. Do not let your love for Baba turn into a weapon because a weapon is meant to harm,” she said.
“Don’t harm one another just because they don’t believe in what you believe in. Don’t kill one another just because they don’t believe in what we believe in,” she added.
She reminded Kenyans that elections are a necessary part of choosing leaders but should not destroy relationships or undermine national unity.
“Now our people you are contesting against are not your enemies. You are contesting against them. When the election is over, let’s get together,” she said.
Ida also called on leaders and older generations to give young people space to express themselves freely, listen to their concerns and correct them with love where necessary.
She, however, urged young people to respect older generations, saying both sides had a responsibility to foster understanding.
Ida opens up about life without Raila
Beyond her appeal for national unity, Ida spoke about the personal toll of losing her husband, whom she had known and loved for more than 50 years.
She said the first year without Raila had been difficult for the family, particularly because another family member died just 40 days after his death.
The two losses, she said, weighed heavily on the family and affected its ability to respond to supporters’ expectations during the period of mourning.
Ida described the continuing pain of returning home in the evenings and hoping to hear Raila’s footsteps or see him walk through the door.
“Sometimes Baba used to come late in the evening. I leave the door open, hoping that he is going to come in, and the door remains open for a very long time. Then later I realized he is not coming back and I go and close the door,” she said.
She thanked Kenyans from different parts of the country and the diaspora for their prayers and support, saying their solidarity had helped her remain strong.
Ida also urged supporters to protect Raila’s legacy through the institutions and initiatives being established in his name, warning that his memory should not be used merely for political convenience.
“In the months ahead, voices will rise in his name. Some will speak out of love. Some will speak out of convenience. Legacy is not inherited. It is not to be spent. It will live on,” she said.