Odinga Family Sparks Cultural Controversy with Beryl Achieng’s Burial Choice

The family of Beryl Lillian Achieng Odinga has decided she will be buried at her father’s homestead in Bondo on Saturday, 6 December 2025.

Beryl, sister to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, will be laid to rest at Kang’o ka Jaramogi beside her late mother, Mama Mary Juma Odinga. The decision departs from long-standing Luo customs, which traditionally require married women to be buried in their husbands’ homes.

Supporters of the move view it as a choice grounded in dignity and family unity, while critics argue it contradicts a practice the Odinga family has long been associated with upholding. Beryl married Otieno Ambala in 1974, a relationship she later left due to abuse, as described in Raila Odinga’s memoir The Flame of Freedom.

After her divorce, she lived in Zimbabwe with her second husband, John Tamisayi Mungwari.  Her marital history has led some to argue that she should be buried either in Gem, Siaya County, where Ambala came from, or in Zimbabwe.

The burial plan was confirmed by Raila Odinga Junior following consultations with family elders, including Dr Oburu Oginga.  Two of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s widows, Betty and Susan Oginga, as well as Beryl’s stepbrother Omondi Odinga, attended the meeting.

Raila Junior said the decision reflected a collective agreement. The announcement prompted criticism within the community and online.  Anyango Jabalo, an elderly woman, urged the Luo Council of Elders to maintain established customs and insisted that Beryl should be interred at her first husband’s homestead.

She also questioned Raila Odinga’s own burial arrangements, noting his established residence at Opoda Farm. Other family members defended the decision. Beryl’s younger sister, Emily Oginga, said the choice followed thorough discussion and warned against selective adherence to tradition. She noted that customs change over time and should not be applied inconsistently.

The Luo Council of Elders adopted a measured position. Organising Secretary Jotham Ajiki said that burial matters rest primarily with the family and that a deceased person’s Will should guide final decisions. Elder Onyango Radier, who is close to the Odinga family, acknowledged the traditional expectation that women be buried at their first husband’s home but said modern legal recognition of divorce complicates the practice.

He emphasised that cultural norms should be respected but not imposed. Luo burial customs are traditionally detailed, including designated burial locations for men, women, and unmarried daughters. These practices, however, are evolving. Some families in western Kenya now set aside private cemeteries within their compounds to manage land use more efficiently.

A memorial service for Beryl will take place on Wednesday, 3 December, at the Consolata Shrine in Westlands, Nairobi. Her body will be flown to Kisumu International Airport on Friday for a brief public viewing before travelling to Bondo.