Ida Odinga: Fighting for Women’s Uhuru
Uhuru is a Kenyan/Swahili word that means freedom.
Facts about Ida
• Wife of Kenyan PM
• Worked as a teacher for 20 years
• First woman Managing Director equivalent to CEO of a major corporation; East Africa Spectre in 2003
• Mentored many successful women influencing Kenya today
• Founded League of Kenya Women Voters in 1991
• Mother of 4 successful children
Ida Odinga like Winnie Mandela stood by her husband in their fight against injustice which cost her normal family life. For almost 10 years her husband was imprisoned by Daniel Arap Moi leaving Ida to raise her children as a single parent. Now we see her as the Prime Minister’s wife but she endured many hardships for the freedom of Kenya.
Ida like Winnie was constantly harassed by the police and even thrown in jail, leaving the children without a caretaker or in the hands of a surrogate; a huge price to pay for the realization of uhuru in the ‘independent’ state. We wonder how she feels taking the back seat to her husband who is now Prime Minister as she focuses on more first lady like duties of supporting the spouse.
Ida doesn’t just fight for political uhuru but personal uhuru too; by using her position and influence to change Kenyan society and the world at large.
