This archive report was first published on 16 June 2020.
On January 20, 2017, Rosemary Odinga, Raila Odinga's eldest daughter, announced her entry into politics, promising to carry on the storied political legacy of her family. However, barely a month later, she suffered a sudden and debilitating illness that forced her to withdraw from the Kibra parliamentary race and seek treatment in South Africa.
Three years after the life-threatening illness, Rosemary has revealed that her recovery has been successful, and she is now doing much better. During a service at St Peter's ACK in Bondo, Siaya County, in December last year, she announced that she had regained her sight and no longer needed to use a white cane.
Her father, Raila Odinga, described her progress as a miracle. Rosemary largely credited her recovery to her family and friends who supported her after the death of her brother, Fidel. "I have to commend my family because we had lost my brother not too long before. Everybody was very supportive. My younger brother and sister took in the kids. My friends, cousins, uncles and aunts were also very supportive. Everyone came together. I am very grateful for that," she said.
Rosemary also praised her mother, Ida, for reading her messages sent by other people, which was comforting as it made her realize she was not battling the illness alone. Her two daughters have been a propelling force in her life, and she has been taking her recovery one day at a time.
Despite the encouraging recovery, Rosemary noted that she still has a long way to go. The effects of the illness continue to prevent her from engaging in certain activities she previously enjoyed, such as reading. "I miss reading. I used to love reading books - fiction, biographies. I remember going back to Chinua Achebe's books. It's not the same when someone is reading to you. That control of being able to read books is why I am doing the exercise. I want to build my strength so I can sit down and just read my own books," she said.
Rosemary described her illness as a moment of awakening, saying she was confronted with the realities of the inadequacies of Kenya's healthcare system. She recalled that apart from a nagging headache, all had been well right before she fell ill. Her illness struck during a working holiday, and she was forced to undergo surgery in India, where she regained her sight but was left with a tumour that could not be removed due to a lack of equipment.
Rosemary revealed that with everything going on at the moment, she had no thoughts of plunging back into politics. "It's still early to talk about running for office. The country is going through a tough time with Covid-19. It's not the time for people to think about what seats I want, who I want to remove," she said. "There's politics going on but this is not the time. We need to be more cognizant of the fact that many people don't have jobs and many people are struggling to earn a living."
