By Prudence Minayo
Lwam Getachew Bekele made headlines albeit briefly following her marriage to the late Fidel Odinga. Being that Fidel’s father-Azimio presidential flagbearer Raila Odinga- is one of Kenya’s most prominent politicians, the media was keen on highlighting the wedding. The two got married in July 2012 at Greek Orthodox Church in Valley Road. The groom arrived in the company of his father Raila Odinga and the media was restricted access to the ceremony.
It was a quiet, colorful occasion graced by close family members from both the groom and bride’s side. All that was known about the bride-apart from her name-was that she is Eritrean.
Fidel had married Veronica Wanjiru Ng’ang’a in 2007 in a customary Kikuyu ceremony. They later parted ways due to irreconcilable differences.
Here is what WoK has been able to gather about Lwam Getachew Bekele.
Family
Bekele is the daughter of Timnit Embaye from Tigrinya tribe in Eritrea. She has lived in Kenya for over 35 years and has a son named Faheem Gatachew Bekele.
Lwam had one child named Allay from her marriage to the late Fidel.
Court battle
For years, she was in and out of court with the Odinga family. At one point, she claimed the battles were due to her disagreement with her mother-in-law, Ida Odinga.
The court case gained public attention in 2019. She was accused of sidelining twins who were said to have been sired by the late Fidel and were born months after his death. The court ordered a DNA test of the twins and she stated she had no qualms about including them in the inheritance should they prove to belong to Fidel.
The protracted court battle ended after she and her brother stepped down as administrators of Fidel’s properties. Raila Junior was appointed as an administrator alongside Lwam.
“That an administrator of the estate being Fahm Getachew Bekele be substituted with Raila Odinga Junior so as to have Lwam Getachew Bekele and Raila Odinga Junior as the administrators of the estate of the Fidel Castro Odhiambo Odinga,” read the agreement.
The widow got the matrimonial home where she lived with Fidel, Tipuana house in Karen, land in Kanyawegi, Kisumu, and a plot in Kajiado.
The rest of the properties including two cars, a plot in Kisumu and two investment firms were given to her child. She will only be a trustee and not at liberty to sell any of them.
The fate of the twins was not mentioned in the court documents.