Ruto nominates Ida Odinga as Kenya’s ambassador to UNEP
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Ida Odinga's name has been forwarded to Parliament for approval.
President William Ruto has nominated Canon Ida Betty Odinga to serve as Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi.
Head of Public Service Felix Koskei announced the nomination on Friday, saying the name has been forwarded to Parliament for approval.
"Dr Ida Odinga is a distinguished educationist, civic leader and advocate for social justice and gender equity," said part of the announcement.
She began her professional journey as a graduate teacher in Nairobi schools, including Highway Secondary School and Kenya High School, where she spent more than a decade shaping young minds.
The President’s State House announcement emphasized her lifelong commitment to public service, particularly in championing women’s empowerment, freedom of expression, and inclusive development.
She also played a key role in Kenya’s democratic reforms in the early 1990s as the founding Chairperson of the League of Kenya Women Voters, a civic movement that advanced the push for multiparty democracy.
Mama Ida is widely recognised both nationally and internationally for her leadership and advocacy.
She has received honorary doctoral degrees and prestigious awards, including the Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (E.G.H.), Kenya’s highest civilian honour.
Her work spans education, civic activism, and public discourse on equality and human rights.
Her ambassadorial appointment to UNEP--the UN’s principal environmental authority--is expected to strengthen Kenya’s voice on global environmental issues and reinforce the country’s role as host of major international environmental forums.
She has been nominated at a time her late husband's party, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is facing internal conflict.
Her brother-in-law, Dr Oburu Oginga, on one hand, and her daughter Winnie Odinga, on the other hand, are holding different views on the way forward.
The nomination now awaits Parliamentary vetting and approval, after which Mama Ida will take up her diplomatic posting and begin representing Kenya at UNEP and in associated international environmental diplomacy.
