When the news of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s death broke, tributes poured in from across Kenya and beyond. But among the many voices honoring the veteran opposition leader was a heartfelt message from an unlikely corner — The Kenya High School alumni society, fondly known as Bomarians.
In a moving eulogy, the alumnae society, through their patron Betty Murungi and President Louise Nyamu Steinbeck, described Raila as “a towering statesman and a steadfast champion of democracy, justice, and equality,” noting that his life of sacrifice and leadership leaves an indelible mark on Kenya’s history.
“The fraternity of The Kenya High School extends deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the Odinga family, the people of Kenya, and the wider African continent following the passing of the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga on 15th October 2025,” the alumnae said in their tribute.
“His enduring commitment to freedom and nationhood stands as a living testament to the values we “Boma” hold dear -service, resilience, and integrity.”
Why Kenya High School Holds a Chapter in Raila Odinga’s History
The bond between the Odinga family and Kenya High School runs deep. Three of Raila’s sisters — Amb. Dr. Wenwa Akinyi Odinga (Class of 1971), Beryl Odinga (1972), and Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga (1981) are proud alumnae of the prestigious school.
Their time at Boma marked the beginning of what would become a lifelong commitment to public service and leadership, a reflection of their family’s ethos.
But perhaps the most profound connection came through Mama Ida Betty Anyango Odinga, Raila’s wife, who once walked the school’s corridors as a beloved Geography teacher.
For more than two decades, she inspired hundreds of students, among them the late Dr Joyce Laboso, who later became Governor of Bomet County.
The society stated that her eloquence, warmth, and dedication to her students are fondly remembered by all who passed through her care.
Her students remember her as firm but nurturing: a teacher who demanded discipline and excellence in equal measure.
Ida’s Ordeal as a Teacher During Raila’s Detention
In 1982, following a failed coup attempt, Raila Odinga was arrested and detained without trial. Ida, left to raise their young children, shouldered the burden alone.
She continued to teach, but the regime’s hostility toward the Odingas soon reached her classroom.
“I raised my children on my salary as a teacher. I was the mother, the father, the provider, and the counselor. It was tough, but it made me stronger,” she told CNN in 2012.
In 1988, Raila’s wife, Ida Odinga, was dismissed from her teaching job at Kenya High and ordered to vacate the teachers’ quarters.
“They told me to leave because my husband was an enemy of the state. But I knew history would vindicate us,” she recalled.
The official reason cited for her termination was ‘public interest’, but the move was linked to her agitation for her husband, Raila Odinga, ‘s release, being held as a political detainee by the government of then-President Daniel Arap Moi.
Also Read: Full List of Raila Odinga’s Siblings; Alive and Dead
This punitive action came just weeks after Ida had challenged the state by filing a habeas corpus application in the High Court, demanding her husband be produced in court after his detention.
Her legal challenge of Moi’s government in court, a bold move in a climate of intense political suppression, was ultimately dismissed by the court.
These personal grievances and the prevailing social injustice in the country spurred Raila into radical politics of transforming Kenya’s political system through social and structural changes and radical reforms.
When he was released after a long stint in prison, he became one of the leading agitators for multipartism and constitutional changes.
Also Read: Little-Known Details of the Oginga Mausoleum Where Raila Will Be Buried
Kenya High School Alumnae Society Hails Odinga Family’s Legacy of Service and Leadership
The alumnae noted that the family’s chapter at The Kenya High School remains deeply woven into our institutional memory – a season that reflected both the joys of shared community and the trials of their time.
“Though their departure from the school during the Second Liberation was marked by difficulty, their dignity, faith, and fortitude left a lasting lesson in perseverance and purpose,” the Bomarians said.
According to Kenya High alumnae, across generations, the Odinga sisters have each, in their own right, exemplified what it truly means to serve in order to reign.
Through lives dedicated to public service, community engagement, and the pursuit of the common good, they have upheld the very essence of the school’s motto, continuing the family’s enduring legacy of service.
The society added that the Odinga family has epitomized the spirit of Servire est Regnare through their collective devotion to education, public life, and national progress.
The late Raila Odinga’s lifelong pursuit of equity, his courage in adversity, and his belief in people-centered leadership, the society noted, mirror the very ideals it seeks to instill in its students — that true greatness lies not in privilege, but in service.
“As we mourn this monumental loss, we celebrate a legacy that transcends politics — a legacy of service, humility, self-sacrifice, and hope,” the alumnae stated.
“On behalf of the community, The Kenya High School Alumnae Society conveys its deepest sympathies to our Bomarian sisters, Mama, their children, and the entire Odinga family. May they find comfort in the knowledge that their family’s story remains intertwined with the heart and heritage of Boma.”
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