At her family’s Opoda Farm in Bondo, a visibly composed but deeply sorrowful Mama Ida Odinga stood before reporters on Saturday, appealing to Kenyans to honour her late husband, Raila Odinga, with peace and dignity.

“This is a solemn occasion,” she said softly. “It is not a time for confusion. Things work better when we do them calmly and respectfully.”

The widow of Kenya’s former Prime Minister spoke with quiet authority, her tone mixing grief with a call for national restraint. “Now, I want to appeal to our people: we must mourn Raila in peace,” she said.

Mama Ida reflected on her experiences attending the funerals of global leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Tanzania’s late president, recalling how their nations came together in stillness and respect. “It is only through a still voice that we can truly hear and understand one another,” she added.

Her words came as Kenya continued to reel from the loss of a man who, for decades, shaped the nation’s politics and democracy.

Returning to the family’s Bondo home for the first time since Raila’s death was announced earlier in the week, Mama Ida arrived under tight security, accompanied by her daughter Winnie Odinga and other family members. The atmosphere was heavy with emotion as mourners filled the homestead, singing hymns and waving flags in muted tribute.

“The situation we find ourselves in today is difficult,” she told the press. “None of us knew that the time had come for my dear husband, Raila Amolo Odinga, to leave us. But since that time has come, we must face it as it is.”

She spoke of the outpouring of grief and solidarity she has received from across the world. “I know Raila was loved by his people, his family, his community, his party members, Kenyans, Africa, and even many parts of the world,” she said, promising to share some of the condolence messages in the coming days.

Meanwhile, preparations for Raila’s final journey were underway. Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo confirmed that the late statesman’s body would be airlifted from Kisumu to Bondo on Saturday evening, rather than transported by road as earlier planned. Thousands of Kenyans had turned up at Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Mamboleo for the public viewing, a final chance to pay their respects to the man they fondly called “Baba.”

As the nation prepares for Sunday’s burial, Mama Ida’s message lingers — a plea for calm and unity, even in heartbreak. “Let us mourn Raila in peace,” she said. “That is what he would have wanted.”