FIDEL CASTRO MAKARIOS ODHIAMBO ODINGA .

Born in 1973, the late Fidel was married to an Eritrean woman Getachew Bekele, with whom they had one child.

Fidel was the eldest son in a family of four children Rosemary, Raila Junior and Winnie.
As soon as the news of his death broke out, messages of condolences poured in through social media sites.

The death of Fidel Odinga has dealt a big blow to the family of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Fidel, 41, had established businesses and cut a niche for himself among his peers.

He was a beacon of hope for the youth who admired the community projects he pioneered.

Word has it that he was destined to plunge into the murky waters of politics come 2017, in what some said would be a move to succeed his father and keep the Odinga dynasty alive.

According to friends, Fidel was soft-spoken, kind hearted and outgoing, never seeing faults in his friends or family members.

Fidel attended Consolata Primary in Westlands before proceeding to Mbeji Academy in Siaya County for his High School education from 1989 to 1992, a school which belonged to the late Thomas Ogembo, founder of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology.

He then proceeded to India for his post-secondary education, where he stayed for one year before transferring to Washington DC in the US.

He completed his studies and continued living and working there. He returned home just before the 2002 elections, after which Narc formed the Government.

He was married to an Eritrean beauty Lwam Gatchew Bekele, who has stayed clear of the limelight since their union on July 28, 2012.

Fidel touched the lives of many who crossed his path, not only by the virtue of being a politician’s son, but on his own accord.

He divorced his first wife Veronica Wanjiru over what were viewed as ‘irreconcilable’ differences. Fidel tied the knot for the second time with his Eritrean lover in a low-key ceremony, which took place at the Orthodox Church in Nairobi

Unlike his much-publicised 2007 wedding ceremony, which was full of pomp and colour, his second one was a closely guarded and invites-only ceremony. Fidel, who kept his family away from the public eye, leaves behind a one-year-old son.

The former Prime Minister’s son has stayed close to his father, playing a critical role in his campaigns as well as learning the political ropes.

Contrary to expectation, he has stayed clear of confrontation pitting his father against family and various leaders.

By virtue of being the son of a former PM, he has won admiration. He was an easygoing person, who never found fault with his friends.

His life has been characterised by a close association with his father and the socialising he did with friends.

Fidel’s cousin Elijah Oburu affirmed that he had good relationships with people. “He was always readily available and would bail out friends and family members in their time of need. The Odinga family has lost a generous person. He was always minding the welfare of others,” noted Oburu.

Fidel was found dead in his Karen home yesterday. Police are investigating the cause of death of the youthful businessman.

By the time Fidel Castro Makarios Odhiambo Odinga breathed his last, not many knew much about him apart from him being the son of Opposition politician and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

His engagements that seemingly attracted public interest were within the social scene when he shared a drink or meal with friends and celebrities and in the sporting fraternity as he supported local rugby, Arsenal FC in English Premier League and Gor Mahia FC.

Most of the time in milestone meetings or rallies of his father, he would tower behind musclemen guarding the politician often with a wry smile at cameras. He would hardly utter a word.

At his death, it is emerging that Fidel was more of a politician than a businessman. Of all Raila’s children, he was the one closest to his political activities. He sustained networks for his father and raised funds severally to support party activities.

Some pundits argue Fidel was to Raila what Raila was to (his father) Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. But aides agree partially.

“Fidel was the quiet underground political operative who created and sustained the Kibera and Langata networks. He knew the point persons by name and had an elephant memory. He was cautious not to throw himself so much in the limelight. While Raila networked publicly with people, Fidel would work with networks and share information with his dad not publicly,” says Dennis Onyango, Raila’s spokesman.

“Unlike his father, an abrasive and outspoken politician, Fidel was a backroom operative with a huge network of friends. When his father was busy with national politics, he often filled in the gaps meeting up people linking groups to support Raila’s politics,” says Mr Onyango.

Fidel was not involved in ODM party squabbles and wrangling for nominations despite being a powerful pillar in his dad’s backroom operations.

His cousin Jaoko Oburu describes him as an easy going gentleman popular within the Jaramogi family ranks and loved in the villages of Bondo where he had built a beautiful house. “He often encouraged us to build family business and planned bi-annual meetings,” he says.

He touched the lives of people around his father and mother Ida differently. As the news of his death spread on social media last Sunday, close friends and family members left church services to dash to the scene of his death.

In the words of Raila’s spokesman, “Fidel was an extremely simple man who had an excellent intelligence gathering system that supported the family’s politics. He really loved his father, admired his politics and was very close to him.

He was prepared to take the bullet for the father. Sometimes he thought he would offer Raila better protection than armed policemen deployed by Government whenever there were breaches.”

Onyango says his humility resembled that of his grandfather Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. While he would eat with the high and mighty in five-star hotels, he would also walk into a kiosk and take porridge and githeri like Jaramogi often did.

“He was quiet but very emotional at some political moments. On that he was a direct opposite of his father. When Raila’s victory was stolen in 2007, Fidel was agitated. He would hide his emotions from the father. The father was very controlled emotionally on political issues. His dad always argues emotions should not overtake reason. But Fidel would show fits of anger, click and throw a fist in the air all in the absence of the father but pretend to be sober whenever they sat to discuss.”

Many of Raila’s aides present and past were lost for words, others devastated; some had their ambitions thrown in limbo.

Even after police sealed-off his house as a crime scene with restricted entry, the yellow tape was breached severally.

Caroli Omondi, the former Private secretary at the PM’s office arrived at Fidel’s home emotionally weighed down, crossed the yellow tape and headed straight to his bed, ‘asking his friend to wake up’ only for the aides to reach for him.

Family members who were upcountry, including his elder sister Rosemary Akeyo hurriedly planned to travel back to Nairobi.

Former ally turned-critic Miguna Miguna issued a condoling statement, “This is to express my deep and sincere condolences to the Right Honourable Raila Odinga, Mama Ida Odinga, Fidel’s widow and son, and the entire Jaramogi family for the sad and untimely passing of their loved one, Fidel Odinga.”

He went on: “Fidel was a fine, decent young man, with a bright future. He was respectful and friendly to all.”

Rosemary described Fidel as a family gem and glue that bonded the Raila family together in sadness and in happiness. “A protective brother who always wanted the best for my dad and mum. When the Government withdrew my dad’s vehicles and security, Fidel stepped in immediately. He offered him his luxury vehicle and hired him chase case cars, fuelling them and paying for upkeep of the security officers.”

Ida herself owned up, saying how Fidel had built his own network independent of family operations. “He had his connections and networks that really supported the family’s business and political activities.”

As a young man, he grew up in the absence of his father who was detained when he was only nine years for the next eight and a half years; he hardly knew a father. Things were so bad that even children his age were asked not to play with him.

But Fidel was beyond the ordinary prism of a royal child. He was at the nerve centre of Raila’s political activities, kept the Kibera network alive and ensured the vote was safely under lock and key as Raila engaged in national campaigns for presidency in 1997, and later on as he campaigned for Mwai Kibaki in 2002 and when he ran against Kibaki in 2007 that turned to be controversial election.

An astute businessman who specialised in petroleum products and construction, Fidel at the time of his death was one of Kenya’s biggest importer and supplier of bitumen.

Caroli, who worked closely with Fidel at family and business level says, “Fidel had a unique talent of building bridges across political ranks and in the corporate scene. He had friends in Kibera slums, Kisumu, Bondo and was close to local celebrities.

In one day he would introduce Kibera friends in the morning seeking job opportunities and in the afternoon he would surface with an international businessman seeking partnerships or facilitation.”

Fidel never interfered with political advice of technocrats to Raila. He instead actively participated in his politics and often financed the PM’s political agenda.