Jaramogi Oginga Odinga

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga[1]
1st Vice-President of Kenya
In office
12 December 1964 – 14 April 1966
PresidentJomo Kenyatta
Preceded byOffice Established
Succeeded byJoseph Murumbi
Personal details
Born
Obadiah Adonijah

October 1911 (1911-10)
Bondo, British East Africa
Died20 January 1994(1994-01-20) (aged 82)
Kisumu, Kenya
Political party
Spouse(s)Mary Juma (d. 1984)
Gaudencia Adeya
Susan Agik
Betty Adongo
Children17 (including Oburu and Raila)[2]
Alma materMakerere University
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionTeacher

Jaramogi Ajuma Oginga Odinga (October 1911[3] – 20 January 1994) was a Kenyan politician who became a prominent figure in Kenya's struggle for independence. He served as Kenya's first vice-president, and thereafter as opposition leader. Odinga's son Raila Odinga is a former prime minister,[4] and another son, Oburu Odinga, is a former assistant minister in the Ministry of Finance.

Jaramogi is credited for the phrase "Not Yet Uhuru" which is the title of his autobiography published in 1967. "Uhuru" means freedom in Swahili and he was referencing his belief that even after independence from British colonialism, the brutal oppression of opposition in political affairs in Kenya, meant that the country had still not attained real freedom. For example, Jaramogi's son Raila Odinga also spent eight years in detention, although he later served as prime minister.

  1. ^ "Oginga Odinga". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  2. ^ Wenwa Akinyi Odinga Oranga (25 July 2007). "THE ODINGA FAMILY LINE". Jaluo.com. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  3. ^ Présence Africaine (in French). 1970.
  4. ^ Vogt, Heidi (28 February 2008). "Kibaki, Odinga have a long history". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved 21 September 2023.