# Ruth Odinga

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{{Short description|Kenyan politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Ruth Odinga
| office              = [County Woman Representative](/source/County_woman_representative)
| assembly            = [Kenya National Assembly](/source/National_Assembly_(Kenya))
| country             = Kenya
| parliamentary_group  = 
| term_start           = 31 August 2022
| constituency         = [Kisumu County](/source/Kisumu_County)
 | office2             = Deputy Governor for [Kisumu County](/source/Kisumu_County)
 | status2             = <!--if this is specified, overrides incumbent.-->
 | term_start2         = 27 March 2013
 | term_end2           = 21 August 2017 
| preceded2           = ''Position established''
| succeeded2          = Mathew Owili
| governor2           = [Jack Ranguma](/source/Jack_Ranguma)
| title               = 
| citizenship         = Kenyan
| party          = [Orange Democratic Movement](/source/Orange_Democratic_Movement)
| relations           = {{plainlist|
* [Jaramogi Oginga Odinga](/source/Jaramogi_Oginga_Odinga) (father)
* [Raila Odinga](/source/Raila_Odinga) (brother)
* [Oburu Odinga](/source/Oburu_Odinga) (brother)
}}
| alma_mater          = [University of Oslo](/source/University_of_Oslo)
| occupation          = Politician
| nickname            = 
}}

'''Ruth Busia Adhiambo Odinga''' is a Kenyan politician and current [County Woman Representative](/source/County_woman_representative) for [Kisumu County](/source/Kisumu_County) in the [National Assembly](/source/National_Assembly_(Kenya)).<ref>{{Cite web |last=myleader.co.ke |title=Ruth Odinga - Women representative |url=https://myleader.co.ke/kisumu-county-women-rep/3148-ruth-odinga-women-representative |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=My Leader Kenya (MLK) |language=en}}</ref> She was the first Deputy Governor for Kisumu County from 2013 to 2017. Odinga is a member of the [Orange Democratic Movement](/source/Orange_Democratic_Movement) (ODM). She is the daughter to [Jaramogi Odinga](/source/Jaramogi_Oginga_Odinga), the first vice president of Kenya, and the sister of both former Prime Minister the late [Raila Odinga](/source/Raila_Odinga) and [Oburu Odinga](/source/Oburu_Odinga), the serving Senator for [Siaya County](/source/Siaya_County).<ref name=Oudia>{{cite web | first=Rushdie | last=Oudia | title=With two seats in, a presidential win will crown Odinga dynasty trophies | website=Nation| date=August 12, 2022 | url=https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/siaya/with-two-seats-in-a-presidential-win-will-crown-odinga-dynasty-trophies-3912540 | access-date=2023-11-21 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Joy and tears among relatives | website=The Nation | date=March 7, 2013 | url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/politics/joy-and-tears-among-relatives--850512 | access-date=2023-11-21}}</ref>

== Education ==
Ruth Odinga is a politician born into a Kenyan political dynasty,.<ref name=Oudia/> She attended Xaverian Primary School, [Kisumu](/source/Kisumu) where she obtained her East African Certificate of Primary Education (EACPE) in 1973. She obtained her East African Advanced Certificate of Education (EAACE) from [The Kenya High school](/source/Kenya_High_School) in 1981. In 1983 she attended the Mutare Girls High School, Zimbabwe, where she gained her [A Levels](/source/GCE_Advanced_Level_(United_Kingdom)). She  obtained a degree in [social science](/source/social_science) in 1985, and a [postgraduate certificate](/source/postgraduate_certificate) in [development studies](/source/development_studies) in 1989, from the [University of Oslo](/source/University_of_Oslo).<ref name=Parliament>{{Cite web |title=HON. BUSIA RUTH ADHIAMBO ODINGA {{!}} The Kenyan Parliament Website |url=http://www.parliament.go.ke/index.php/the-national-assembly/hon-busia-ruth-adhiambo-odinga |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=www.parliament.go.ke}}</ref>

== Political career ==
Ruth Odinga is a former Deputy Governor of [Kisumu County](/source/Kisumu_County) and founding chairperson of the Kenya Network of Women Governors (KENWOG).<ref name=Kenyans.co.ke>{{Cite web |title=Inside the Life of Raila's Secretive Younger Sister {{!}} Kenyans.co.ke Website |url=http://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/45977-inside-life-railas-secretive-younger-sister |access-date=2023-12-24}}</ref> She is the younger sister of [Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga](/source/Raila_Odinga)

Odinga entered politics in 2013, running against [Jack Ranguma](/source/Jack_Ranguma) to be Governor of [Kisumu County](/source/Kisumu_County).<ref>{{cite web | first=Kevine | last=Omello | title=I’m not ‘Raila sister’ Ruth Odinga tells journalists | newspaper=The Standard | date=November 18, 2016 | url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/entertainment/county-nairobi/article/2000223864/im-not-raila-sister-ruth-odinga-tells-journalists | access-date=2023-11-21}}</ref> After losing to Ranguma, she joined his team and served as his Deputy Governor from 2013 to 2017.<ref>{{cite web | first=Eddy | last=Mwanza | title=Inside the Life of Raila's Secretive Younger Sister | website=Kenyans.co.ke | date=November 3, 2019 | url=https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/45977-inside-life-railas-secretive-younger-sister | access-date=2023-11-21 }}</ref> She was the senior advisor to the Governor and director of Special Programs and Disaster Management from 2017 to 2022.<ref name=Parliament/>

In October 2017 she faced charges after taking part in protest against the election officials in Kisumu.<ref>{{cite web | title=Kenya's Ruth Odinga dey face charges over Kisumu protest | website=BBC | date=October 23, 2017 | url=https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/tori-41726407 | language=pcm | access-date=2023-11-21 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Rushdie | last=Oudia | title=Fred Outa, Ruth Odinga charged over attacks on IEBC staff | newspaper=Nation | date=October 23, 2017 | url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/politics/fred-outa-ruth-odinga-charged-over-attacks-on-iebc-staff-467318 | access-date=2023-11-21 }}</ref> In 2019, after her presence at a protest disrupting election training in Kisumu, there were again calls for her to be arrested and charged with incitement to violence.<ref>{{cite web | title=Sister of Kenya's opposition leader facing incitement charges | website=africanews | date= December 9, 2019 | url=https://www.africanews.com/2017/10/24/sister-of-kenya-s-opposition-leader-facing-incitement-charges// | access-date=2023-11-21 }}</ref>

She was elected the [Kisumu County](/source/Kisumu_County) Women Representative in August 2022 using the [Orange Democratic Movement](/source/Orange_Democratic_Movement) ticket defeating her competitor Valentine Anyango of the [Movement for Democracy and Growth](/source/Movement_for_Democracy_and_Growth) party (MDG).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ruth Odinga wins Kisumu woman rep seat |url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/realtime/2022-08-12-ruth-odinga-wins-kisumu-woman-rep-seat/ |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=The Star |language=en-KE}}</ref>

Odinga is a [women’s rights](/source/women%E2%80%99s_rights) activist and advocate for [women's development](/source/women_in_development) and [women in leadership](/source/women_in_leadership). She is the founder of the Kenya Network of Women Governors (KEWOG),<ref name=Parliament/> and continues to act as its chair.<ref>{{cite news | first=Kevine | last=Omollo | title=CORD sidelining women from leadership, says deputy governor Ruth Odinga | newspaper=The Standard | date=2016 | url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/politics/article/2000186537/cord-sidelining-women-from-leadership-says-deputy-governor-ruth-odinga | access-date=2023-10-21 }}</ref> She is also the recipient of a Gender Champion Award from the Kenyan Department of Gender.<ref name=Parliament/>

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Current MPs of Kenya}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odinga, Ruth}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Living people
Category:People from Kisumu County
Category:Orange Democratic Movement politicians
Category:21st-century Kenyan women politicians
Category:Members of the 13th Parliament of Kenya

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ruth Odinga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Odinga) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Odinga?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.