My beloved Mum, My sisters Rosie and Winnie, My extended family, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, My fellow Kenyans, since I learnt of Dad’s demise, I have agonised over how best to mourn him.
My father was many things to many people, but to my siblings and I, he was simply Dad.
Dad embodied resilience, courage and an unwavering commitment to the ideals of freedom and justice. He always stood for what he believed was right, sometimes at great family and personal cost. He was my hero — and his legacy lives on in me, in my siblings and in all those whose lives he touched. I am my Dad’s son.
ODM Leader Raila Odinga's body lies in state at Parliament as his son Raila Jr pays his respects.PHOTO/PSC
And that is why I will continue to fight for the values he believed in — justice, fairness and service to others.
I am very alive to the fact that with my brother Fidel gone, I remain the gentleman of the family. Dad, I want to assure you that I will take care of our family — Mum, Rosie, Winnie — and the larger political family you have left behind. Ero kamano. Thank you, Dad. Thank you for the gift of life. Thank you for giving me your name and for never heaping the weight of it on me.
Thank you for a beautiful childhood, even in the challenging times. Thank you for always believing in me, encouraging me to speak up, to try new things and for always hearing me out.
Thank you for standing by me even when I fell short or outright failed, and for always showing me grace. Thank you for your wisdom, your guidance and your unwavering love — not just for me, but for our entire family: Mama, Fidel, Rosie, Winnie, my wife, my children, my in-laws and my friends.
Thank you for grounding me in the ways and mores of our people while encouraging me to be a modern man. I will deeply miss our family moments, our laughter and our conversations.
I will miss watching Arsenal with you — (this is our year!). I will miss making new memories with you, but I will forever treasure those we shared. I thank God for you and for everything you have meant to me. You have run your race with honour. May grace now lead you home, and may the ancestors receive and rest you well.
Nind gi kwe, Baba. Aheri