Nairobi, October 2025

The late Fidel Odinga, eldest son of Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, is back in the public spotlight — nearly a decade after his death. His ex-wife, Lwam Getachew Bekele, has applied to administer his unclaimed financial assets held in a local bank.

The Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA) made the announcement in a gazette notice dated October 17, confirming Bekele’s application to take custody of Fidel’s unclaimed estate.

“The Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority has received claims for unclaimed assets from the following persons claiming as administrators of the estates of deceased persons,” the notice read in part.

The Authority added that unless objections are filed within 30 days, the assets would be released to the applicant.

What the Law Says

Under Kenya’s succession laws, a person seeking to manage the estate of the deceased must apply for letters of administration. The applicant must also secure a letter of no objection from other beneficiaries before assuming control of the assets.

The UFAA said any individual with a legitimate counterclaim has until mid-November to lodge it formally.

“Unless an objection to the claims is lodged within thirty (30) days from the date hereof, payment will be made to the aforementioned person,” the Authority stated.

The notice did not specify the value or nature of the assets in question, though they are believed to have remained dormant since Fidel’s death in January 2015.

A Life Cut Short

Fidel Odinga, once seen as a potential political heir to his father, died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 42. His body was discovered at his Nairobi home on January 4, 2015, sparking public grief and speculation.

He was laid to rest at the Odinga family’s rural home in Bondo, Siaya County. His death remains one of the most discussed moments in the family’s history — a tragedy that deeply affected his father, who himself passed away last week.

Marriage and Family

Fidel married his Eritrean partner Lwam Bekele in 2012, in a private ceremony attended by close family and political figures. The couple welcomed a son in 2013.

However, their union was short-lived. In 2014, just two years after the wedding, the couple divorced. Before marrying Bekele, Fidel had been married to Veronica Wanjiru, though that relationship also ended in separation.

It is unclear whether Fidel remarried after his divorce. At the time of his death, he was living alone.

The 30-Day Window

Bekele’s latest move to secure the unclaimed assets has reopened public interest in Fidel’s estate and the question of who his rightful beneficiaries are.

The UFAA’s notice gives any interested parties — including family members — 30 days to file objections before the assets are released to her.

If no disputes are raised within that period, Bekele could be formally recognised as the administrator of Fidel’s financial estate.