Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Ida Odinga, has distanced herself from politics, saying that while her late husband and other close relatives have pursued political careers, her own path lies elsewhere.
Speaking during an interview with a local media outlet on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, Odinga said she had kept a low profile in recent months due to mourning, which she described as a personal priority that prevented her from engaging in political activities.
“I’ve been silent for some time. Of course when I lost my husband, I was still in the state of mourning, and that was very important to me, and therefore I was not able to come out and participate in political arrangements,” she said.
Odinga noted that she is surrounded by prominent political figures in her family, including her daughter and brother-in-law, but emphasized that she does not consider herself a politician and does not intend to join the political arena.
“I’m not a politician, and I hope you know that my husband was, my daughter is, my brother-in-law is, people around me are, but I’m an industrialist. I’m not a politician,” she added.
Despite her family’s political profile, Odinga maintained that she will continue serving in her current diplomatic capacity, leaving politics to those already actively involved.
President William Ruto nominated Odinga, the widow of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to UNEP in Nairobi.
