'Build Kenya, not yourselves,' Mama Ida Odinga tells leaders

Mama Ida Odinga makes her speech during the interment ceremony of former PM Raila Odinga at Jaramogi Oginga University in Bondo on October 19, 2025. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Ida Betty Odinga, widow of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has challenged Kenyan leaders to focus their efforts on driving the country toward development rather than personal enrichment.

Speaking during the interment service of her husband at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology on Sunday, October 19, Ida lamented that Kenya had failed to match the pace of development seen in countries it once rivaled.

“At the time of independence, Kenya was at par with countries like South Korea and Thailand, and even ahead of many large nations,” she noted.

 “But those countries have moved very fast to join the league of first-world countries. Kenya is still lagging, but this can change.”

Drawing from her experiences abroad, she recounted her visit to China during the 1995 Beijing International Women’s Conference, which offered her a glimpse of a nation in transformation. “At that time, the tallest story building was a hotel,” she said.

 “I also noticed that in industries, many people working in China were wearing overalls. If you go there today, you can see a completely different world. It can be done even here in Kenya.”

She urged leaders and citizens alike to embrace hard work, determination, and focus as the foundations for national progress. “With hard work, determination, and focus, we can change our country,” she said.

She further called on elected leaders to uphold integrity and public service, rather than treating leadership as a path to wealth. “Let’s not acquire wealth for ourselves. Let’s acquire wealth for future generations. I ask our leaders to focus on national wealth, not personal wealth,” she urged.

Her emotional tribute to her late husband doubled as a rallying call for a new spirit of servant leadership, one that honors Odinga’s lifelong struggle for justice, equality, and development.

Ida challenged the government and elected leaders to emulate countries that have rapidly progressed since independence.