By Damaris Kipchumba
Ahead of the first anniversary of former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga’s death on October 15, Citizen TV’s Seth Olale conducted an exclusive interview with Mama Ida Odinga at the family’s Opoda Farm in Bondo, Siaya County. The interview reflected on Raila’s life, their marriage of more than 50 years and Ida’s experience of grief a year after losing her husband. It also provided an example of how journalists can handle emotionally sensitive conversations with empathy while still obtaining meaningful and engaging content.
From the outset, Olale adopted a respectful and conversational approach, allowing Ida to share her experiences at her own pace. His questions moved from the significance of the first anniversary to the circumstances surrounding Raila’s death and how she received the news. When Ida became emotional while recounting the moment she learnt that her husband had died, Olale gave her time to compose herself rather than rushing her or immediately moving to another question. This demonstrated sensitivity to the emotional weight of the conversation.
The interview also reflected preparation and an understanding of the subject’s personal history. Olale explored different aspects of Raila’s life, including his political journey, detention, family relationships and aspirations for Kenya. His follow-up questions encouraged Ida to explain the challenges she faced, including raising their young children during Raila’s detention and losing her teaching career after challenging his continued detention. This allowed her to share personal experiences that helped audiences understand the sacrifices and difficulties behind the public figure’s political journey.
A notable strength was the sequencing of questions, which allowed the conversation to move between painful experiences and happier memories. Rather than focusing exclusively on grief, Olale explored Raila’s life as a husband, father and companion. His lighter questions about their first meeting, Raila’s favorite food, football, dancing and family holidays prompted Ida to smile and laugh as she recalled their time together. These moments appeared to ease the emotional intensity and create a more comfortable atmosphere in which she could share positive memories. The humour was relevant and appropriately timed, without trivializing her loss.
The interview also gave Ida considerable ownership of her story. She was able to explain Raila’s values, including his belief in democracy, equality and Kenya’s development, in her own words. Olale largely avoided imposing his interpretation on her experiences, allowing her reflections to shape the conversation. The interview did not appear to exploit her grief for dramatic effect; instead, it approached her loss with restraint and respect.
Overall, Olale demonstrated empathy, patience and emotional awareness in handling a sensitive interview. He balanced difficult questions with lighter, human-interest moments, enabling Ida to discuss both the pain of bereavement and the happier memories of her marriage. The interview illustrates that trauma-sensitive journalism does not require journalists to avoid difficult subjects. Rather, it calls for thoughtful preparation, careful sequencing, attentive listening and respect for emotional pauses, allowing interviewees to share their experiences without feeling pressured or having their grief turned into a spectacle.
Damaris Kipchumba is a media analyst and the Media Council of Kenya
