With the death of
former President Raila Odina’s son, Fidel, Kenyan politics were turned on their
head. An autopsy was conducted but offered no information as to the cause of
death. Odinga was found dead in bed by his wife on the morning of Jan. 4,
2015. Politicians across Kenya and Kenyan allies expressed condolences for
the family’s loss, and the mystery of his death goes on. Here are 12
things you didn’t know about the life of Fidel Odinga.
1. He was the oldest of four children
Odinga had three siblings – one brother and two sisters. He was the oldest
by several years. Fidel was born in 1973, his brother Raila Junior was born in
1979, and his sisters, Rosemary and Winnie, were born in 1977 and 1990.
2. It is rumored that he only used gold
cutlery
Rumors surfaced that Odinga would refuse to use knives, forks and spoons
made of steel or aluminum, and would bring gold spoons with him when he went
out partying, which he was known to do frequently.
3. Odinga was once charged with possession
of marijuana
In 2001, Odinga was studying in the U.S. when he was caught with marijuana
and drug paraphernalia. He was fined $305 USD. The incident was kept under
wraps until 2009.
4. He was named for Fidel Castro
Odinga’s father, Raila, named his first son after former Cuban Marxist
leader, Fidel Castro. Fidel’s youngest sister, Winnie, was also named after a
prominent figure in politics – former South African first lady Winnie Mandela.
5. Odinga is thought to be a billionaire
Among his investments, Odinga is said to own a four-star hotel — the
Parkview Hotel in Kisumu — along with several others. He is also part owner of
a building of more than 350 units in Migosi. The project cost more
than $21 million USD to construct.
6. His first wife was from the
Kikuyu nation
In 2007, Odinga married Veronica Wanjiru Ng’ang’a, a Kikuyu woman. At the
time, Odinga’s father, Raila Odinga, was running a presidential campaign based
on very strong anti-Kikuyu sentiments. Many thought Fidel’s marriage was
politically motivated to help secure votes in the Central Province district, an
idea that was further embraced when he and Ng’ang’a divorced in 2011.
7. Odinga was known for his partying tendencies
Odinga often earned media attention for his love of the nightlife, and was
often photographed at clubs around Kenya.
8. His second wife was rumored to have had
an affair with his friend
After his divorce, he married an Eritrean woman named Lwan Gatachew
Bekelle. Kenyan gossip magazines said that Odinga’s second wife had an
affair with one of his best friends. The rumors were printed in the daily
newspaper, The Star, but Odinga, along with his wife, went public denying
the claims.
9. His family is from the same community as
Barack Obama’s father
President Barack Obama’s father came from the same Luo community as Odinga,
but there is no known blood relationship. Obama’s paternal uncle said,
“Odinga’s mother came from this area, so it is normal for us to talk about
cousins. But he is not a blood relative.”
10. His grandfather led an unsuccessful coup
on the Kenyan government
In 1982, Fidel’s grandfather, Oginga Odinga, attempted an unsuccessful coup
on the Kenyan government. A Marxist-Leninist revolutionary and former vice
president under the Jomo Kenyatta administration, the grandfather
collaborated with his son, Raila Odinga. Raila was later charged with treason
and detained without trial for six years.
11. It was thought that his father was
grooming him for politics
In 2013, there was talk that Fidel planned on running for the Langata
parliamentary seat. He was one of several high-profile names that would have
been on the ticket. Fidel did not run, but many thought he would be launching
his own campaign before the next election.
12. He has a 1-year-old son
Odinga’s son, Allay, was born in August 2013 to him and his second wife,
Lwam Gatachew Bekele. Odinga and his second wife dated for nearly two years
before they married in August 2012 at an invitation-only event.
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