- Amy, Beryl Achieng’ Odinga’s daughter, held back her tears as she mourned her mother, who died weeks after Raila Odinga
- The woman maintained her composure for a while but finally broke down when she started talking about her relationship with her mother
- He jokingly remembered how his mother once chased away her boyfriends with knives to discipline her children
Raila Amolo Odinga’s sister, Beryl Achieng’, will be buried on Saturday, December 6, in Kang’o ka Jaramogi in BondoSiaya county.
Source: Facebook
One of her children, Amy, gave an emotional and powerful tribute, which she read in flawless English.
The heartbroken woman noted that it took her more than a week to put into words what she wanted to say about her late mother.
When did Amy start working?
“We are here today to honor my mother, a strong woman and the anchor of my life. My mother raised us as a single parent after my father died. She put us in private schools, deciding that her children would have the best. She built businesses, including a restaurant. When she opened the restaurant, she made me her project manager when I was only 19 years old. Together, we searched for metal plates to give it a Carnival feel. We chose plants, furniture and equipment.
Now that I look back on those times, I realize that they weren’t just about building a restaurant, they were about building me. My mother worked hard. We have houses in Zimbabwe and Kenya because of his hard work,” he said.
Amy added that her late mother was strict and protective, especially when she was being chased by boys.
He humorously recalled a time when his mother chased the boys away with knives, determined to raise her children with respect and discipline.
Amy remembers being admitted to the same hospital as her mother
“He didn’t allow lovers to disturb him, but he was also very funny. He joked all the time, told stories about everything, and taught us our history. Earlier this year, after visiting my mother one evening in the hospital where she was admitted, I fell, broke my leg, and had to be admitted to the same hospital. Once he was informed that I was also admitted, he ordered the staff to move his bed to my room so that he could be near me.
Surprisingly, he was very angry about my situation, trying to understand it, and said, ‘Whoever tries to kill me, leave my child alone. Don’t touch my children. Deal with me.’ That was his love, fierce, protective, and unconditional,” he added.
Amy also opened up about her relationship with the late Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, Raila Odinga.
Amy opens up about her mother’s relationship with Raila
He described their relationship as strange, recalling an incident where they had an argument for just a few minutes.
“I know there are people who were angry with me for not allowing them to see my mother in her state. Like I said, my mother was proud and private. She didn’t want anyone to bring her down, and her brother’s death broke her. They had this wonderful brother-sister relationship that only they understood. They would laugh and argue many times, but never for long. They never held grudges.
One day, we went to my uncle’s house. He was talking to her about some issue, and they disagreed. He yelled at her and left at his usual speed. The mother got angry and said to me, ‘How can he embarrass me in front of my child?’ About 20 minutes later, he came back down, and they started laughing as if nothing had happened. They solved the problem. Their romance and chemistry was hard to understand. It could not be broken. His death hurt him a lot,” he said.
Jane Murimi Mugo, a family consultant, told TUKO.co.ke that parenting took different paths depending on several factors.
“Beryl was not only Amy’s mother but also Amy’s friend. From her speech, you can see how close they were from working together in business to even in the political field. Such a relationship is made when a child is still young and is maintained by the way they are established. Whether it is appointments, talks, walks, and conversations. I hope she recovers because she said she may not recover from her mother’s death,” he said.
Source: Facebook
Raila Odinga’s wife attacks mourners
In another story, Raila’s wife, Ida Odingawas angry with the mourners who interrupted Beryl’s funeral, telling them that he was not interested in their politics.
A young man accompanying the politicians had started a riot, and the MC tried to calm them down.
When they failed to listen, Ida folded her arms and showed her fiery side, asking for calm and respect.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
