A Moment That Shook Her: Millie Odhiambo’s Emotional Recollection
When the news broke that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga had died, few inside the political world were left untouched. One of the most striking accounts comes from Suba North Member of Parliament Millie Odhiambo, who vividly recalled how she received the horrific news — and how she almost collapsed twice as the weight of it hit her.
Speaking during the funeral and memorial proceedings, Odhiambo said she was at the State House that morning when President William Ruto announced the death. She described walking from her office to her car, the longest and hardest walk she had ever taken — gripped by shock, disbelief and grief.
The Eastleigh Voice News
+1
“I was the only ODM member among the Luo political class present. When the president said, ‘I have bad news,’ I somehow already knew. … I almost collapsed twice,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion.
The Eastleigh Voice News
The Last Conversation and the Weight of Words
Odhiambo also shared her final conversation with Raila just a few days before his death. According to her account, he was cheerful, in good spirits, and focused on one message: unity.
“When I asked him, ‘Baba, how are you?’ he told me jokingly, ‘…In the morning I walked all around. I’m surprised there are people who have already killed and buried me in Kenya.’”
The Star
That moment now carries deep poignancy — the statement of vitality, the half-joke about rumours of his demise, and the unexpected finality. Odhiambo said that though the words seemed light at the moment, she would carry them forever.
The Eastleigh Voice News
Grief, Politics and a Personal Collapse
Her recollection isn’t just about a politician’s passing; it’s a window into the emotional toll the moment took on those around him. In the halls of power and the corridors of grief, Odhiambo’s description of how the loss hit her — physically, mentally — resonates.
“That morning … I may appear strong, but Baba’s death broke me completely.”
The Eastleigh Voice News
She also gave credit to President Ruto’s gesture of asking female MPs not to travel to India to stay behind and support Ida Odinga, Raila’s widow — a gesture she said “meant so much.”
The Eastleigh Voice News
What It Means for ODM and the Nation
Beyond personal grief, Odhiambo’s narrative highlights the broader implications of Raila’s death — for his party Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), for his political alliances, and for Kenya’s future. She called on the party and supporters to remember his message; to forgive those who spread false rumours about his health, but never forget the pain they caused.
The Star
Her words capture the mixture of personal loss, political uncertainty, and the emotional landscape of a movement grappling with the death of a leader who had become both symbol and substance.
Final Reflection
Millie Odhiambo’s recollection of that morning — the announcement, the physical reaction, the collapse, the grief — is a microcosm of how the nation reacted to the death of Raila Odinga.
It wasn’t just a political event. It was visceral. Real. Personal. And it will echo long after the ceremonies fade.
For Odhiambo, and many others, the journey from hearing the news to the long walk back to her car, to the tears behind doors, is part of the mourning of a leader whose presence was larger than politics.
“I almost collapsed twice … I will never forget.”
Recent major news on Raila’s state funeral and crowd reactions
reuters.com
Mourners storm Kenyan airport to receive Odinga’s body
3 days ago
reuters.com
Heavy security at state funeral for Kenyan opposition leader Odinga after deadly day
2 days ago
