Just like his father and the nation's first Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, opposition leader Raila Odinga was a mischievous student back in his schooling days.
With Oginga known to have been defiant during his schooling days at the Maseno School and later as a teacher, Raila also defied teachers at Maranda School, the institution his father studied in before joining Maseno for his secondary education.
A good instance is when he retorted at his teacher, and the head teacher, none other but John Hezekiah Ougo, the man who would later in 1974 take over from his father as the Bondo Member of Parliament, was called in to punish him.
Ougo, who said that he loved Raila's character which many observed as naughtiness, and saw him as a future leader was about to cane him when Raila fired a tough question that made him tuck his tail between his legs.
Raila who would later become the nation's second Prime Minister, asked why he was being told he was mature but was not being allowed to demonstrate it.
According to him, he could only demonstrate it by answering back at his elders, his teachers in this context.
“I could see a leader in him way back. There is a time he was brought before me by a teacher and before I could raise my hand to cane him, he challenged me and after that I was shocked and did not punish him” he told the Standard in 2012.
Ironically, Ougo who was Raila's arithmetic teacher was Jaramogi's student when he (Jaramogi) was the Head Master at Maseno School and later his sister would be married into the Oginga family, making them relatives.
In 1980, Ougo sacrificed his seat to facilitate the return of Oginga who was languishing in political wilderness, after being subjected to barrications and detentions as a result of his wars against the first and second regimes.
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