In summary
- Beryl Achieng Okumu was married to Tycoon Otieno Ambala who was described by Oburu as being as ‘a combative’ man. He once clinched his fists and began jumping up and down his office when Raila and Odinga went to visit him.
The death of Beryl Achieng Okumu Odinga on 25th November 2025 has left many wondering how she was good at avoiding the limelight. The reason for this could be because she spent more than three decades in Zimbabwe after she fled an abusive marriage.
In this article, WoK chronicles the biography of Beryl Achieng Odinga.
Age
Beryl Achieng was born in 1952 at a time when the Kapenguria 6 had just been arrested. The father named her after political detainee Achieng Oneko.
She was 73 years old by the time of her death.
Education
She began schooling at Nyamira Primary School then joined Kenya High School for her O-level certificate before enrolling at St Francis Mang’u for her A-level. She studied Law and had a brief stint as a tutor at Kenya School of Law.
Career
In the early 70’s, Achieng worked for the Odinga family’s bus company, Lolwe Road Services.
While teaching at KSL, Beryl was battling the storm of an abusive marriage. But 1979 was her Damascus moment when she chose to walk out of her marriage with Otieno Ambala. Because Otieno was stalking her, the Odinga family pushed for her relocation to Zimbabwe in 1980.
By that time, Zimbabwe had just gained independence and she became the first black town clerk of Mutare. She later had a stint in the same position in another town. The enterprising Achieng would later open her hotel in Harare.
She returned back to Kenya in 2013 and worked for the Railway Pension Scheme. In 2020, Beryl was appointed Chairperson of the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC).
Troubled marriage
Achieng was in a troublesome marriage with tycoon Otieno Ambala, a man who introduced potato chips into the Kenyan market. He had vast investments in real estate and energy sector and supplied fuel as far as Rwanda. Ambala is a former Gem MP and died while at Kodiaga prison after he was arrested on suspicion of organising the assassination of Horace Ongili.
Ambala began seducing Achieng in the early 70’s. However, according to Raila Odinga, their family was against Ambala pursuing and marrying Achieng because they read his political interests being a priority. But Achieng insisted she was in love with Ambala.
“I would not write about Otieno Ambala but for the fact that he came into my family by skillfully plotting around my sister Beryl and luring her into his politically ambitious tentacles. Against my father’s, Oburu’s and my advice, and against the family wishes, this very arrogant man manipulated my sister – who was freshly out of school – into an affair and finally into marriage.”
“I write about their relationship only because it brought me close to a classic case of domestic abuse and showed me how a man can misuse his power to hurt a woman,” Raila writes in his book Flame of Freedom.
Ambala’s first wife died in 1973 and he went for negotiations for Achieng’s marriage the following year. He would later marry her and got elected as Gem MP in 1979. Raila says their family helped in campaigning for him having previously lost in 1974. But this victory made Ambala more abusive.
“Ambala’s victory went to his head. If his relationship with Beryl was stormy before, it was much worse afterwards, and Beryl eventually moved out,” Raila says.
Children
Beryl Achieng had two children with Ambala; Auma and Chizi. She has another child by the name Taure.
Death
Beryl Achieng died on 25th November 2025 while receiving treatment at Nairobi Hospital.
“It is with a heavy heart, but accepting the will of God, that we announce the sudden passing of Beryl Achieng Odinga,” Ruth Odinga said.