THIKA, Kenya — Mama Ida Betty Odinga has expressed gratitude following her nomination by President William Ruto as Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), describing the appointment as both an honour and a source of renewed strength during a difficult personal period.
Speaking during a church service at PEFA Thika on Sunday, January 25, 2026, Mama Ida thanked Kenyans who had reached out with congratulatory messages, saying the support had encouraged her at a time of profound transition.
“Thank you very much to those who have congratulated me on this new appointment. To me, it is an honour, and I’m happy about it. But of late, I have been going through some challenges,” she said.
President Ruto nominated Mama Ida on Thursday, December 23, 2025, to replace Ababu Namwamba, who has since been reassigned as Kenya’s Ambassador to Uganda. The nomination is subject to parliamentary vetting and approval before she formally assumes office.
If approved, Mama Ida will represent Kenya at UNEP, whose global headquarters are based in Nairobi, a strategic posting that places her at the centre of international environmental diplomacy at a time when climate financing, biodiversity protection and sustainable development are high on the global agenda.
Kenya has in recent years sought to leverage UNEP’s presence to position itself as a continental leader on climate action and green policy.
Reflections on personal loss
In her remarks, Mama Ida also reflected on the personal challenges she has faced in recent months, including the death of her husband, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a towering figure in Kenya’s political history.
“Before that, every time I stood here, people would say, ‘she’s the wife of,’ but these days, I’ve been given another baptism, and that is the widow of. I still carry that name with pride,” she said.
She acknowledged the emotional weight of the moment, while emphasising resilience, faith and continued service to the country.
A lifetime of public service
Mama Ida Odinga is widely respected as an educationist, civic leader and long-time advocate for women’s empowerment and social justice.
She began her professional career as a teacher at Highway Secondary School before serving at Kenya High School, where she taught for more than a decade.
Beyond the classroom, she played a prominent role in Kenya’s pro-democracy movement, including serving as the founding chairperson of the League of Kenya Women Voters during the country’s transition to multiparty politics in the early 1990s.
She has also been active in business and philanthropy, with leadership roles in family enterprises such as East African Spectre, a liquefied gas cylinder manufacturing firm, and has supported numerous community-based initiatives focusing on education, health and vulnerable groups.
Her public service record has earned her national and international recognition, including Kenya’s highest civilian honour, the Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (E.G.H.).
If confirmed by Parliament, Mama Ida’s appointment would mark one of the most high-profile diplomatic roles of her public life, reinforcing Kenya’s long-standing engagement with the United Nations system and global environmental governance.
