The late Beryl Achieng Odinga
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The Odinga family is mourning once again following the death of Beryl Achieng Odinga, the youngest sister of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The news was confirmed on Tuesday by her sister, Ruth Odinga, who described the loss as a deep and painful blow coming barely five weeks after Raila’s own passing on October 15, 2025.
“It is with a heavy heart, but accepting the will of God, that we announce the sudden passing of Beryl Achieng Odinga,” Ruth said in a statement. She declined to reveal the cause of death but noted that Beryl died on Tuesday morning at a Nairobi hospital.
Although details surrounding her final illness remain unclear, family sources indicated that Beryl had been in and out of medical facilities for several months before her passing. Unverified reports suggested she had previously been admitted to the same Indian health facility where Raila had been hospitalized prior to his death.
Beryl, the daughter of Kenya’s independence icon Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Mary Auma Odinga, was a biological sister to Raila Odinga and Senator Oburu Oginga. Unlike her politically visible siblings, she maintained a modest public profile throughout her life, choosing a quieter path rooted in education, law, and public administration.
Ruth Odinga remembered her sister as a devoted mother and a steadfast member of the Odinga family. “Beryl was a loving mother to Ami Auma, Chizi and Taure,” she said. “She was sister to Senator Oburu Oginga, Rt Hon Raila Odinga, Akinyi Wenwa and myself, among others. While we are deeply saddened by her demise and the immense void left in our lives, we take solace in the belief that she is safe in the Lord’s arms.”
Born into one of East Africa’s most influential political families, Beryl distinguished herself academically and professionally. She was an educationist by training, a professional teacher who later qualified as a lawyer. She was noted as the only member of the wider Odinga family who pursued her entire education within Kenya.
Her career extended beyond the borders of her home country. Beryl made history in Zimbabwe when she became the first Black Town Clerk of Mutare, the country’s third-largest city—an achievement that positioned her as one of the few Kenyans to hold a senior administrative post in a foreign government institution.
In Kenya, she held several leadership roles in public institutions, including serving as Chairperson of the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC) from 2020. Her leadership in the public sector earned her recognition for her quiet but impactful contributions to governance and service delivery.
Beryl married real estate investor Otieno Abala in 1974, though the marriage later ended following disagreements. It remains unclear whether she remarried thereafter.
Her death marks yet another moment of profound grief for the Odinga family, still reeling from the loss of Raila. In her tribute, Ruth expressed gratitude for the years shared with her sister. “We are thankful for the invaluable gift of the time we were privileged to share with her and for the profound impact she had on all who knew her,” she said.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be communicated by the family in due course.
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