When Ida was forcefully retired by Moi's government for being Raila's wife

In the politically charged atmosphere of post-1982 coup Kenya, the state often wielded its power not just against political dissidents, but against their families as well.

It was a strategy of intimidation and control, and in September 1988, it was brought to bear on Ida Odinga.

Ida's husband, Raila Odinga, was at the time held in detention without trial, accused by the Moi regime of being one of the masterminds behind the failed August 1982 coup attempt.

In a display of political retribution, Ida Odinga, then a teacher at the prestigious Kenya High School, was summarily dismissed from her job in September 1988.

The official reason cited for her termination was 'public interest', but the move was linked to her agitation for her husband Raila Odinga's release, being held as a political detainee by the government of then-President Daniel arap Moi.

This punitive action came just weeks after Mrs Odinga had challenged the state by filing a habeas corpus application in the High Court, demanding her husband be produced in court after his detention.

Her legal challenge of Moi's government in court, a bold move in a climate of intense political suppression, was ultimately dismissed by the court.

However, the consequences for her and her family were swift and severe.

The dismissal, and eviction

On a September morning in 1988, Ida Odinga was summoned by the headmistress of Kenya High School at 10:00 AM.

She was handed a letter dated Friday, September 9, from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

The letter, signed by a Mrs S. N. Kinyua on behalf of the TSC Secretary, informed her that she had been retired from service in the public interest, effective immediately.

The letter invoked regulation 7(b)(i) of the TSC code of regulations.

It further instructed her to vacate the school compound, which was her family's home, no later than Monday, September 12.

There was no warning and no hearing.

The dismissal stripped her of her profession and her home in one stroke.

Newspaper photographs from the time captured the grim reality of the moment: household belongings being hastily packed and loaded onto two lorries.

For Mrs Odinga, the state's message was clear.

Her husband was in detention, her job was gone, and now her family was being made homeless.

"I have lost a husband, a job and a house," she told reporters at the time, expressing her shock and uncertainty.

"What will my children eat? They will come home after class only to find they have no home. What am I going to do now? I have never received any warning letter. What shall I do now?"

An act of political intimidation

The termination of Ida Odinga's employment was a calculated act of political intimidation, a hallmark of the KANU regime's approach to dissent.

By targeting the families of political opponents, the state aimed to isolate and break them financially and psychologically.

For Mrs Odinga, the loss of her teaching position was not just a loss of income but the stripping away of her professional identity.

At the time, she was a respected educator at one of the country's top national schools.

The state’s action meant her terminal benefits would be withheld until she received a certificate of clearance from the school, adding another layer of bureaucratic control to the whole ordeal.

Asked where she would go, her response highlighted the desperation of her situation.

"I don't know (where I'll go). I hope some of my relatives will accommodate me."

Ultimately, the system that ostracised her would crumble.

The fight for multi-party democracy, for which families like hers paid a steep price, culminated in the repeal of Section 2A in 1991.

Decades later, Ida Odinga’s journey would come full circle.

The teacher who was fired and evicted by the state would go on to become a respected national figure and the wife of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya, a testament to her resilience as well as to the political changes the country has undergone.