Barely three months after the burial of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, his widow, Mama Ida Odinga, has found herself at the centre of a vitriolic political storm. The controversy follows her official acceptance of a nomination by President William Ruto to serve as Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
While supporters have hailed the move as a gesture of “national healing,” exiled-turned-vocal critic Miguna Miguna has slammed the appointment, labelling Ida the “definition and face of hypocrisy, opportunism, and greed.”
In a series of scathing posts, Miguna questioned the speed with which the Odinga matriarch has transitioned from the “commander-in-chief” of the opposition family to a civil servant reporting to the very man she fiercely campaigned against in 2022.
“Why the hurry to pick up Ruto’s crumbs?” Miguna posed. “This is a woman who, just months ago, saw her husband’s supporters bleed for a cause she now seems to have traded for a diplomatic title and a paycheck. It is ni mbaya sana.”
The appointment has also exposed deep cracks within the “House of Raila.” Observers have noted that EALA MP Winnie Odinga, who had previously vowed to “protect her father’s legacy” from state infiltration, has gone remarkably quiet since her mother’s nomination was announced on January 23, 2026. While Raila’s brother, Dr Oburu Oginga, has reportedly supported the “broad-based” cooperation, younger ODM firebrands like Babu Owino and Edwin Sifuna have faced a delicate balancing act criticising the government while avoiding a confrontation with the “Mother of the Community.”Speaking at PEFA Cathedral on Thika Road on Sunday, January 25, Mama Ida remained defiant, stating she would not be “intimidated or frightened” by her critics.
“To me, this is an honour,” she told worshippers. “The Lord is my shepherd; he prepares a table for me before my enemies.”
As the National Assembly prepares to vet her for the role, the debate remains: is this a well-deserved recognition of a civic icon, or as Miguna suggests, a calculated “betrayal” of the millions who followed the “Enigma” for four decades?
By Migunaa