Raila Odinga’s youngest child, Winnie Odinga, has spoken candidly about how the death of her older brother, Fidel, in 2015, altered her outlook on life.
Winnie noted that mourning is different for everyone and varies in each individual on the Iko Nini podcast, saying that she had not been able to fully come to terms with her brother’s death but had instead learned to live with it.
Winnie said she misses her brother, whom she characterized as her protector.
“When he died I didn’t cry, I just started crying when we were now burying him because, during a funeral process, there are a lot of people, it’s after the body has gone in that now you feel it and that’s really the time guys enter depression,” Winnie Odinga said as she relived her brother’s funeral.
For Winnie, there is no quick path or shortcut when it comes to grieving a loved one. The only way to go through the grieving process is through acceptance and for one to allow themselves to mourn when the loss occurs.
Winnie admitted she fell into a deep depression following Fidel’s funeral, which forced her to seek professional help through counselling and therapy.
According to Winnie, her sister-in-law recommended her to a therapist who helped her get over the circumstance. She also added that she currently sees three therapists with whom she discusses her problems.
“I went through the worst depression after he died and that’s when my sister-in-law took me to meet a therapist, I was not into believing in stuff like that then, but talking about it now I have three, but I don’t tell them all the whole story,” she said.
The 32-year-old is currently actively involved in her father’s campaign and is never too far from him during most of his rallies.
