The battle for the narrative of Raila Odinga’s final days has turned personal and ugly, with Winnie Odinga launching a blistering attack on Salah Oketch, the man who claims to be the late premier’s "adopted son."

In a controversy that has gripped the Kenyan public, Winnie has categorically accused Oketch of fabricating details about his presence and role during Raila’s final moments in India and Dubai. Her intervention seeks to puncture the growing mystique around Oketch, who has been ubiquitous in media interviews sharing "exclusive" emotional details of his last conversations with the ODM leader.

"He Was Not There"

Winnie, who was constantly by her father’s side during his health struggles, dismissed Oketch’s accounts as the fantasies of a clout-chaser. "There are people telling stories about things they did not see and places they were not at," she said, without naming Oketch but leaving no doubt about the target. "You cannot claim to be the son when the family does not know you in that room."

Oketch has recently featured in viral interviews, describing intimate, final directives he claims Raila gave him. These alleged directives have been used by various political factions to justify their maneuvers in the post-Raila ODM landscape, making the veracity of his account a matter of national political importance.

• The "Adopted" Tag: The term "adopted son" is politically potent in Kenya, implying a transfer of legitimacy. By stripping Oketch of this title, Winnie is invalidating any political will or message he claims to carry.
• Family Unity: The Odinga family has generally maintained a disciplined silence, but the proliferation of "spokespersons" for the dead has evidently forced their hand. Winnie’s rebuttal serves as a notice to all political brokers: the family owns the legacy, and they will police it.

The Politics of Grief

The spat highlights the messy, often undignified scramble that follows the departure of a colossus like Raila Odinga. Every whisper, every alleged last word, is political currency. Winnie Odinga’s move is a harsh corrective, a reminder that while Raila belonged to the people, his final breath belonged to his kin.

As ODM struggles to define its future, the question of who truly speaks for the past has never been more critical. For now, Winnie has made it clear: the history books will be written by those who were actually in the room.