Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo./COURTERSYSuba North MP Millie Odhiambo has come to the defense of the burial arrangements for Beryl Odinga, challenging critics who argue that the interment deviates from traditional Luo customs.
Odhiambo said while traditions are important, they should not overshadow individual preferences, especially in matters of burial.
“All those who firmly opine that Beryl Odinga should be buried according to Luo customs, please confirm that your six lower teeth have been removed in strict conformity to culture,” she said, in a statement that has sparked widespread debate.
"If not, you are 'boiling'—iwalo!" she added, invoking a popular Luo expression for hypocrisy.
The controversy stems from claims by some Luo cultural custodians that the burial should follow customary rites, which include specific rituals and ancestral customs.
Critics argue that failing to adhere strictly to these practices disrespects tradition and undermines community norms.
However, Odhiambo dismissed these criticisms as selective and impractical, pointing out that not all traditional practices are uniformly observed in contemporary society.
She emphasised that cultural practices evolve over time and that forcing adherence to archaic rituals can be both exclusionary and impractical.
Beryl, who passed away on November 25, 2025, while undergoing treatment at a Nairobi hospital, was the younger sister of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
A distinguished professional and trailblazer, Beryl’s life spanned continents and careers, leaving an indelible mark in both Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Raila's family's decision to break long-held customs and inter Beryl Odinga, sister to the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, at her father's homestead in Kang'o ka Jaramogi, has stirred a debate rekindling conversations about the place of culture in moments of grief.
Beryl will be laid to rest this Saturday, December 6, 2025, in Bondo at Kang'o Ka Jaramogi, where a quiet corner of the Odinga family cemetery awaits her later mother, Mama Mary Juma Odinga.
The decision departs from long-standing Luo customs, which traditionally require married women to be buried in their husbands’ homes.
Supporters of the move view it as a choice grounded in dignity and family unity, while critics argue it contradicts a practice the Odinga family has long been associated with upholding.
Beryl married Otieno Ambala in 1974, a relationship she later left due to abuse, as described in Raila Odinga’s memoir The Flame of Freedom.
After her divorce, she lived in Zimbabwe with her second husband, John Tamisayi Mungwari. Her marital history has led some to argue that she should be buried either in Gem, Siaya County, where Ambala came from, or in Zimbabwe.
The burial plan was confirmed by Raila Odinga Junior following consultations with family elders, including Dr. Oburu Oginga.
Two of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s widows, Betty and Susan Oginga, as well as Beryl’s stepbrother, Omondi Odinga, attended the meeting.
