ODM Party leader Raila Odinga has shared tales of how he used to communicate with his wife Ida while in prison.
Raila said he would write letters on toilet paper and smuggle them through a friendly officer to his wife.
Speaking during Ida’s 70th birthday celebration, he said Ida would in turn reply to the letters through the same officer.
Raila said, at one point while in Manyani prison, he went on a hunger strike causing his health to deteriorate.
The doctor appointed to examine him misdiagnosed his condition as High blood pressure and went ahead to give him wrong medication.
“This now caused me a lot of problems. I could not sleep. I could here the sound of train coming from Nairobi to Mombasa and vise versa in my head,” he said.
When he was transferred to Kamiti prison, the ODM chief wrote to his wife informing her of his health condition.
“Ida went and found a doctor who prescribed the medicine that could help me. She sent the medicine through the officer to me. She even wrote how i was to use the medicine,” Raila narrated.
However, Raila said he could not read well due to the excruciating pain in his head. So he hid the letter under his bed.
Unfortunately, the letter was found during a search in the cells.
“That is the letter that caused Ida a lot of trouble. They looked at the handwriting and insisted that the letter had come officially. So that is how the Nyayo came and picked Ida taking her to cells to question her how she smuggled the letter of which she did not reveal anything,” he said.
While giving tribute to his wife of 47 years, Raila revealed that through the ‘toilet paper letters’, Edith Matiba found out of her husband’s, Kenneth Matiba stroke.
“Again I smuggled the message through the same askari to Ida, who told Edith that Matiba was sick. This was before he was taken to Nairobi hospital under the disguise of another name,” Raila said.
Raila described his wife as a witty and charming source of guidance, inspiration and strength to the family.
He said Ida had to be a single mother for a long time because of ‘his sins’. He was mostly away from his family, missing out on his children
“Happy Birthday to my wife Ida, a witty and charming source of guidance, inspiration and strength for our family. From the first time I saw you my life changed immeasurably. We are grateful for your dynamic, adventurous spirit. May the Lord continue to bless your illustrious life!” he said in a Tweet.