Oburu Odinga’s second wife’s intro stole the spotlight at Raila Odinga’s state funeral today, as the acting ODM leader lightened a sea of sorrow with a cheeky revelation about his marriage during his eulogy at Nyayo National Stadium.
Senator Dr Oburu Oginga, 79, drew chuckles from the 40,000-strong crowd when he quipped, “At my age, I don’t want her (first wife) to scratch me or to massage me, so I brought her helper, Judith Oburu…” as he paraded his two spouses side by side, turning a moment of grief into an unexpected burst of levity.
The packed stadium, draped in ODM’s orange and Kenya’s black mourning bands, had been thick with tributes to the late former prime minister when Oburu took the podium around midday.
Flanked by family and dignitaries, including President William Ruto, he began with sombre reflections on brotherhood and legacy before pivoting to family. “This is my first wife, Ann, and this is her helper, Judith,” he added, gesturing to the women who stood beaming beside him.
The line about scratches and massages, delivered with Oburu’s trademark twinkle, ignited waves of laughter that rippled through the stands, a brief exhale amid speeches heavy with loss.
Judith Oburu Kaguru, Oburu’s second wife since their low-key union in the early 2000s, isn’t new to the political fold but rarely steps into the glare. A soft-spoken businesswoman from Nyanza with ties to community health initiatives, she’s been a quiet pillar for the Oginga clan, often spotted at Luo cultural events.
Ann, his first wife of over 50 years and mother to Raila, has long been the family’s public face, her resilience a quiet force through arrests, exiles, and electoral battles.
Oburu’s intro, far from scandalous in Kenya’s polygamous traditions, felt like a nod to Luo customs where multiple wives symbolise abundance and support—though his humour framed it as practical wisdom for golden years.
Social media ignited more quickly than a matatu engine. “Uncle Oburu turning the funeral into a family roast, pure gold,” tweeted one fan, while another posted, “In this pain, he gave us a laugh. That’s leadership.”
Not everyone chuckled; a few conservative voices online grumbled about decorum, but the overwhelming vibe was appreciative, seeing it as Oburu’s way of humanising the elite Odinga world. This wasn’t just comic relief; it underscored Oburu’s role as the steady hand post-Raila.
As acting party leader, his warmth bridges generations, much like how he navigated his own diplomatic career, from Kenya’s US envoy in the ’90s to Senate stints championing devolution.
With Raila’s burial procession winding through Kisumu tomorrow, Oburu’s quip lingers as a reminder: even in death’s shadow, life’s quirks endure. As the stadium emptied under drizzling skies, whispers turned to how this elder statesman might steer ODM’s fractured path, perhaps with the same blend of wit and grit that introduced his “helper” to the world.
