Jaramogi Odinga

The Honourable Jaramogi Oginga Odinga E.G.H.
1st Vice-President of Kenya
In office 12 December 1964 – 14 April 1966
President	Jomo Kenyatta
Succeeded by	Joseph Murumbi
Personal details
Born	Obadiah Adonijah October 1911 (1911-10) Bondo, British East Africa
Died	20 January 1994(1994-01-20) (aged 82) Nairobi, Kenya
Political party	List Kenya African Union (1948–1959) Kenya African National Union (1960–1966) Kenya People's Union (1966–1990) Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (1991) Forum for the Restoration of Democracy – Kenya (1992–1994)
Spouse(s)	Mary Juma (d. 1984) Gaudencia Adeya Nyar Uyoma Susan Agik Betty Adongo
Children	17 Oburu Raila Amolo Wenwa Akinyi Beryl Achieng' Odima Omondi Shadrack Osewe Ruth Adhiambo (with Mary Juma) Caroline Walkowa Akinyi (with Gaudencia Adeya) Isaac Omondi Emily Onyango (with Susan Agik) Pauline Adhiambo Kevin Opiyo Lemmy Odongo Corazon Acquino Albert Adur Wilson Ating'a (with Betty Adongo)
Alma mater	Makerere University
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Teacher, Author

Jaramogi Ajuma Oginga Odinga (October 1911 – 20 January 1994) was a Luo chieftain who became a prominent figure in Kenya's struggle for independence. He later served as Kenya's first Vice-President, and thereafter as opposition leader. Odinga's son Raila Odinga is the former Prime Minister, 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 written in the 80s during his time under house arrest. "Uhuru" means freedom in Swahili and he was referencing the fact 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. At that time Jaramogi's son Raila was also in detention for a period of 8 years.

Oginga Odinga was born in Bondo, Nyanza Province. In his autobiography, Not Yet Uhuru, Odinga estimates the date of his birth to be October 1911. Christened Obadiah Adonijah, he later renounced his Christian names and became known as Oginga Odinga. He was a student of Maseno School and Alliance High School. He went to Makerere University in 1940, and returned to Maseno High School as a teacher. In 1948 he joined the political party Kenya African Union (KAU).

Spurred to empower his Kenyan Luo ethnic group, Odinga started the Luo Thrift and Trading Corporation (registered in 1947). With time, Odinga and his group undertook to strengthen the union between Luo people in the whole of East Africa. His efforts earned him admiration and recognition among the Luo, who revered him as Ker – a title previously held by the fabled classical Luo king, Ramogi Ajwang, who reigned 400 years before him. Vowing to uphold the ideals of Ramogi Ajwang, Odinga became known as Jaramogi (man of the people of Ramogi).

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