Siaya — Beryl Lilian Achieng' Mungwari Odinga, the younger sister of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, will be laid to rest at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga family cemetery in Kang'o Ka Jaramogi, Siaya County, following her death on November 25, at the age of 73.
Raila Odinga Junior, appointed to lead the family's planning committee, said preparations for the burial are underway. On Saturday, Junior chaired a series of meetings with family members before visiting the cemetery with elders from the Jaramogi lineage to identify her final resting place. Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, who delegated the planning role to his nephew, also participated in the consultations.
"With the blessings of my uncle Oburu Oginga, we sat down with Jakawuor today to choose the final resting place for my late aunt, Ms. Beryl Lilian Achieng' Mungwari Odinga, at Kang'o Ka Jaramogi. Further funeral arrangements and details will be shared in due course," Junior said.
Images from the visit showed Junior and family elders standing at the gravesite where several Odinga relatives, including his late brother Fidel Odinga, are buried. The burial is expected to take place at her ancestral home, following her separation from her late husband, former Gem MP Aggrey Ambala.
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Beryl passed away while receiving treatment at a Nairobi hospital, leaving behind a legacy marked by resilience, excellence, and public service. She completed her Form Six studies in 1972 and pursued careers in teaching and law, laying the foundation for a distinguished professional life in governance and urban development.
In Zimbabwe, Beryl broke barriers as the first Black Town Clerk of Mutare, the country's third-largest city, playing a central role in shaping post-independence urban policy. She later served as Company Secretary at the Housing Corporation of Zimbabwe and, in 2020, was appointed to the board of the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company by then Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.
During a 2023 birthday celebration for Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, Beryl reflected on her early years, noting she had been classmates with several future Kenyan leaders, including former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o.
Beryl married Otieno Ambala in 1974. Ambala, who pursued a political career, died in 1985 while serving time at Kodiaga Prison. Her personal struggles, including an abusive marriage, are detailed in Raila Odinga's 2014 autobiography, The Flame of Freedom, highlighting her decision to flee Kenya in the 1980s and seek asylum in Zimbabwe, where she rebuilt her life and career.
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Among her most enduring contributions was her work on the Chitungwiza Town planning policy, serving later as Town Planning Director at the Chitungwiza Town Council. Her designs helped modernize the urban framework, regulate peri-urban sprawl, and shape the town's development trajectory for decades.
Beryl Achieng's life remains a testament to resilience, leadership, and dedication to public service, leaving a lasting impact both in Kenya and abroad.
