Sarah Anyango
Kisii.
Joy and disbelief filled Nyanchwa Adventist Mission Hospital in Kisii County after 28-year-old Vane Nyanchoka Ontweka safely delivered quadruplets — three boys and one girl. The newborns have been named Raila, Amollo, Odinga, and Ida in honor of Kenya’s late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga and his wife, Ida Odinga.
The quadruplets, born via caesarean section, surprised doctors who had expected triplets. Nyanchoka, already a mother of twins, described the delivery as “a miracle from God” after enduring a difficult pregnancy marked by breathing and mobility challenges.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Maria Lyther confirmed that both mother and babies are in stable condition. Nurse Everline Mong’are, who assisted during the procedure, recalled how the moment blended grief and laughter.
“When she developed complications, it was around the same time Raila’s death was announced,” Mong’are said. “We joked that Raila had come back in a big way — and that’s how the names Raila, Amollo, Odinga, and the tiny girl Ida came to be.”
The delivery comes less than a month after Odinga’s passing on October 15, a national tragedy that has now found a poignant echo in new life.
Hospital administrator Dancun Mosioma appealed for support from well-wishers to help the family care for the quadruplets, noting that “raising four babies at once is no easy task.”
Across social media, Kenyans have celebrated the “Odinga Quadruplets” as a touching symbol of life, continuity, and resilience — a story of joy born from the shadow of loss.