East African Legislative Assembly Member of Parliament Winnie Odinga has opened up about her deep struggles following the death of her father, Raila Odinga.
Speaking to an audience in Nairobi, the lawmaker described the months after his passing as a highly traumatic period that pushed her into a personal crisis.
The former Prime Minister passed away in November 2025, an event that threw the country into mourning and reshaped Kenya’s political scene.
For Winnie, who was very close to her father as both a daughter and apolitical aide, the loss marked the beginning of a painful journey under the constant watch of the public.
Dealing with public expectations
Winnie recalled the chaotic days right after the tragedy, pointing out how hard it was to balance her private pain with what people expected from her. She was rushed back home from India and immediately expected to stand up and speak about the man she had dedicated her entire life to.
“For the past eight months, I have gone through the most difficult period of my life,” Winnie said during her talk.
She explained that she tells people she is going through a midlife crisis because she and her dad were incredibly tight.
Instead of being allowed time to grieve privately, she faced rigid public expectations, remembering how people told her, “Do this, and you have to do this, and you must do this properly and perfect.”
Handling political critics
Apart from her personal grief, Winnie spoke about the political fights that broke out within her father’s political circles after his death. She felt a lot of pain seeing some of the people her father trusted start to tear down what he had spent his life building.
When she decided to speak up against this, she faced heavy backlash.
Politicians and critics quickly labelled her as disrespectful. Winnie noted that people ignored the truth in her words and chose to focus entirely on her tone and how she delivered the message.
The intense pressure forced her to take a step back and stay quiet for a while as critics tried to break her spirit.
Despite the attacks, Winnie remains firm that she spoke up because she knew she was right. She concluded that the experience taught her a tough lesson about how hard it is for younger leaders to challenge established figures.
