Fidel Odinga was the famous son of former Kenyan Raila Odinga . His father, Raila, is considered one of Kenya’s best politicians and the son of the country’s first vice president, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
If you are in Kenya, it would be needless to ask if the Odingas have political blood in their veins, as every Tom, Dick and Harry in the country knows that Odinga is a household name in senior circles. The fact that the family’s political roots spread from one generation to the next makes them top league politicians.
Among the four children of Raila, the most prominentof them was Fidel. This is because he has followed in his father’s political footsteps and has reached an enviable height in the country. While many may argue that he was on the verge of becoming a super politician because of his position as a first son, they should not forget that there are many powerful leaders whose first sons excel in other fields such as sports, science, acting hit. entrepreneurship, and what not.
Perhaps there were specific reasons why Fidel chose politics like his father and grandfather. It could have been fame, selfless service, zeal to right the wrongs of the land, or simply that his father allegedly trained him to be a politician.
In this article you will learn everything you need to know about Raila Odinga’s eldest son who sadly passed away on January 4th, 2015 in Karen, Kenya.
Fidel Odinga Biography
Born in Kenya in 1973, Fidel Castro Odhiambo Odinga was the eldest son of Kenyan political powerhouse Raila Odinga, who came through his wife Ida Odinga (Ida Anyango Oyoo).
Fidel’s birth name was given to him by his father, who believed that the best way to show his admiration for his childhood hero, Fidel Castro, was to name his first son after him.
Fidel Odinga received his primary education at Consolata Primary, Westlands and later attended Mbeji Academy, Siaya for his secondary education.
Coming from a wealthy background and studying in any school his choice would be the least of Fidel’s worries. This unique privilege brought him to the United States, where he studied business administration and marketing at South Eastern University in Washington.
Upon returning to Kenya, he took up chains of companies that helped shape the man he was and build his fortune. From supplying bitumen products to contractors in Kenya while tending his family business – East African Specter Limited – to doing construction work, Fidel kept hitting it until he became interested in politics.
In the 2013 election, he is said to have been one of the numerous high-profile names to haunt the Langata seat of parliament as he became increasingly involved with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). At some point in 2014, it was also rumored that Fidel was preparing for a 2017 election spot (but no one knew he wouldn’t make it that year).
The late Fidel Odinga had three siblings who arrived a few years after him. Rosemary Odinga (born 1977) is Fidel’s immediate younger sister. She is currently making waves in the country as a social equality activist, entrepreneur and advocate for alternative agriculture. Rosemary is still single and has no children, according to online reports.
Raila Odinga Jr. was born in 1979. Like his older brother, he is good in business and has interests in some areas of the country. Raila is a father to two beautiful girls who came through his wife Yvonne Kibukosya, whom he married in 2011.
Fidel Odinga’s youngest sibling, Winnie Odinga, is a communications and international area studies graduate student at Drexel University, Philadelphia. She was born in 1990 and named after Winnie Mandela, the ex-wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela. According to sources, she works as the director of the Green Outreach Foundation Africa. She is also a talented photographer.
Fidel Odinga’s wife, family
Before his death in 2015, Fidel Odinga married twice. His first wedding was to Veronica Wanjiru Nganga’s in 2007, but the marriage didn’t last as the couple divorced in 2011. While many people claimed that the couple split up because Veronica couldn’t handle her husband’s love of alcohol, others claimed Fidel filed for divorce because Veronica couldn’t bear him a child.
A year later, Fidel married Lwam GatachewBekele, his Eritrean sweetheart, whom he had been dating for almost two years, in an invitation-only wedding ceremony. They welcomed their first child on Wednesday 31st July 2013.
cause of death
January 4, 2015 will forever remain green in the memories of the Odinga family and friends of Fidel Castro, not because Raila Odinga lost any political position – it was the day tragedy struck the elite family and devastated them and left destroyed. The new year had just started, everything was going smoothly and Odinga’s family was looking forward to Raila’s 70th birthday on January 8, 2015.
Fidel Odinga is said to have spent a good number of hours with his family at his home in Karen on January 3. Sources who claimed they met Fidel and his father and discussed at length that day stated that Fidel looked healthy and strong. While he was having said good time with his father, his mother alerted him that his lunch was ready, but Fidel answered the calls, which were made several times, with deaf eyes. He later left without having lunch.
On the same day (January 3), Fidel and his cousins are said to have met a group of friends including Robert Gichuru (Samuel Gichuru’s son), Mabior Garang (the son of former South Sudanese President John Garang). Together they allegedly visited Art Caffé, which is on the Ring Road in Westlands, the Capital Club on Westlands Road, and the Sankara Hotel, where he had a drink. He later came home very late and quietly went to his bed.
The next morning (January 4), his wife reportedly found him lying lifeless on the bed. Although Fidel’s death was mysterious and shocking, his family appears to have kept the autopsy report a secret from the hungry eyes of the public. However, reports were widespread that he died of food poisoning.
Fidel Castro Odinga died at the age of 41. He left behind his beautiful wife and a beautiful son who was only a year and a few months old at the time of his death. He was buried on January 10, 2015 at his family home in Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, Bondo near his grandfather’s grave.
Fidel Odinga’s cars
As a celebrity, Fidel Odinga has always been in the spotlight. He loved social gatherings more than political events, although his father claimed it would make him a political figure in Kenya.
Perhaps his love for Jollies and friends has brought him to reveal his weaknesses – flamboyant lifestyle and love of expensive drinks. Fidel loved to party with his friends and had so many friends from different backgrounds. He was a man of the people who would easily have taken part in a political competition.
Odinga loved big cars and also had an expensive Range Rover that was said to have crashed when his friend Sam Gichuru crashed into a cyclist in Nairobi. Cyclist Lunale Kizito was pronounced dead when Gichuru was recently acquitted by the court.
Fast facts on Fidel Odinga
1. Fidel Odinga reportedly owns a 4-star hotel in Kisumu. The property, Parkview Hotel, cost him an estimated Ksh 950 million and is located on Harambee Road in Kisumu.
2. He was also part of a group that built a development of more than 350 housing units in the seaside town around Carwash / Migosi.
3. Fidel was not a fan of aluminum cutlery. He ate with golden spoons, forks and knives whenever he attended an event.
4. His criminal record shows the celebrity was once accused of being in possession of illegal drugs – marijuana to be precise. This happened in 2001 while he was studying in the United States of America. He was fined US$305 (Ksh 24,000).
5. He was a die-hard supporter of a local rugby team in Kisumu.