Ida Odinga apologises to guests heckled at Raila memorial

Ida Odinga has apologised to guests who were heckled at Raila Odinga’s first anniversary memorial in Bondo, urging political leaders to prevent their differences from overwhelming the family’s commemoration.

In a statement reported by Citizen Digital on 17 October, she said the invited guests deserved courtesy and respect, regardless of their political affiliations.

Ida said attendance or absence should not be interpreted as a disagreement with the family. She also expressed concern about reports that people might have been paid and transported to disrupt the event. Those reports remain allegations; her statement does not establish who, if anyone, organised the heckling.

Her appeal shifts attention back to the family’s purpose in convening the memorial and the responsibility of leaders for their supporters’ conduct. The commemoration brought together people with competing political loyalties, but an invitation was not an endorsement of a particular alliance.