By KPC Reporter
The road leading to former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga’s rural home in Bondo has not known silence since he died.
Day after day, a long line of mourners — largely political leaders, party loyalists, and national figures — has made its way to the Odinga home to pay their respects.
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The tone shifted this week when a different delegation arrived: not politicians, but education professionals from Wadau wa Elimu Kenya.
The group, led by Bernard K. Orwasa, represented more than 1,000 members drawn from schools, universities, education agencies, unions and commissions.
Their presence offered something deeper than political solidarity — a tribute from a sector that Raila consistently championed, and a gesture of comfort to a woman who began her journey in a classroom.
“We stand before you today not just as individuals, but as a united voice representing the educators of Kenya,” the statement to Mama Ida read, setting the tone for a heartfelt, non-political condolence visit.
Even as politicians continue to fill the compound with speeches and memories about Baba’s political footprint, this delegation focused on his legacy in education — a quieter but powerful part of his life’s work.
They remembered him as “a steadfast champion for a better, more equitable Kenya,” a leader who believed that true national progress rests on an educated and empowered people.
But the educators also came to honour Mama Ida, whose own contribution to the sector often hides behind her public stature.
“Long before your national stature, you were one of us — a dedicated high school teacher,” they reminded her, acknowledging a part of her identity that many Kenyans forget amid her national engagements.
They celebrated her personal journey from teacher to advocate and how her voice has strengthened schools, teachers, and children across the country.
“Your personal journey from the classroom to national influence has been a powerful testament to the value of learning,” the delegation said.
“We pray that God grants you, your entire family, and the multitude of Kenyans mourning, His divine comfort and strength.”
Accompanying Orwasa were other representatives, among them Prof. Henry Onderi of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), whose footprint in Kenya’s education sector includes the authorship of several books.
Prof. Onderi presented Mama Ida with a copy of one of his works, Basic Education in Kenya: A Reality Check.
Hi She received it warmly, noting that the issues explored in the book speak to a sector she considers the foundation of the country’s progress.
