A home once defined by movement, late night returns, and political anticipation has fallen into a painful stillness. Renowned preacher Pastor Esther Obasi Ike has shared a deeply emotional account of her visit to the Karen home of Mama Ida Odinga, offering a rare glimpse into life after the passing of Kenya’s political titan, Raila Odinga, fondly known as Baba.
Pastor Obasi Ike revealed that she spent more than three hours with Mama Ida in the quiet Karen residence, a place that once pulsed with energy and expectation. In an emotional reflection, she recounted how Mama Ida described the tradition of leaving the doors open at night a simple but powerful ritual rooted in love and hope. Baba could return at any hour from political engagements, rallies, or late meetings, and the open doors symbolized readiness, partnership, and unwavering support.
“Now, those doors are painfully shut,” Obasi Ike recalled Mama Ida saying, a statement that captured the depth of loss words can barely carry. The silence, she explained, feels heavier than the crowds and chaos that once surrounded Baba’s life. Every corner of the house echoes with memories conversations unfinished, footsteps no longer heard, and a presence that once filled the space.
The preacher noted that Mama Ida spoke not just as a widow, but as a woman who walked a long, demanding journey beside a man whose life belonged as much to the nation as it did to his family. The grief, she said, is private yet profound, layered with years of sacrifice, resilience, and shared dreams.
For many Kenyans, Baba was a public figure a symbol of resistance, reform, and hope. But in that Karen home, he was simply a husband, a partner, and the reason doors stayed open deep into the night.
Pastor Obasi Ike’s account has touched hearts across the country, reminding Kenyans that behind national history are personal stories of love, loss, and quiet moments of sorrow. Sometimes, grief is not loud. Sometimes, it is just a closed door where one was always left open.
By Nairobi