Raila's family confirms sister's death

Beryl Achieng Odinga, elder sister to the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has died at the age of 78. 

The announcement comes just over a month after Raila Odinga's own passing on October 15, 2025, leaving the family grappling with profound grief amid a series of losses.

The Odinga family confirmed Beryl's death in a sombre statement released Tuesday afternoon, describing her passing as "sudden" and expressing the "immense void" her departure has left in their lives.

 "It is with a heavy heart, but accepting the will of God, we announce the sudden passing of Beryl Achieng Odinga," the family said, adding that they find solace in their faith, believing she is "now safe with the Lord." 

Her body is currently at Nairobi West Hospital and will be transferred to Lee Funeral Home for preservation, with funeral arrangements to be announced later.

Beryl, born in the early 1940s as the daughter of Kenya's first Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Mama Mary Ajuma Odinga, was a trailblazer in her own right. 

She served as Town Council Clerk in Harare, Zimbabwe, where she spent much of her professional life, contributing to local governance during a pivotal era in post-colonial Africa. 

Her personal life was marked by challenges, including an abusive marriage to Zimbabwean politician Ambala, who died in 1985, as recounted in family narratives. 

The timing of her death has amplified the sorrow within the family and across Kenya's political landscape. 

Raila Odinga, a towering figure in opposition politics and a key architect of Kenya's multiparty democracy, was buried in a state funeral attended by thousands just weeks ago.