Biography of Raila Amolo Odinga
Raila Amolo Odinga is a Kenyan politician who has served in different positions in the Kenyan government over the past years. He is a former member of parliament (MP) for Langata constituency in Nairobi County. Additionally, he is the former Prime Minister of Kenya who served from the year 2008 to 2013 during the reign of the late president Mwai Kibaki.
He has always been an opposition leader in Kenya since 2013. Currently, the Azimio La Umoja coalition which is an opposing party, is headed by him. Amolo is also the owner of East African Spectre which is a liquid petroleum manufacturing company in Kenya.
Raila Amolo Odinga age
Raila Amolo Odinga is currently 79 years old. He was born in the year 1945, January 7th at the Anglican Church Missionary Society Hospital which is in Maseno, Kisumu County.
Raila Amolo Odinga Family
His parents are the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, his father and Mary Juma Odinga, his mother. Raila’s ethnic group is Luo.
His father was the first Vice president of Kenya during the reign of Kenyatta Jomo. He is also a born again Christian who was baptized at the Anglican Church Missionary Society during his childhood.
Odinga is a soccer lover since he played as a midfielder for Gor Mahia which was previously called Luo Union.
Raila Amolo Odinga wife
Raila Amolo Odinga is husband to one Ida Anyango Oyoo Odinga and together the couple has been blessed with four children. The children are: Fidel Odinga who was born in 1973 but unfortunately passed away in 2015, Rosemary Odinga who was born in 1977, Raila Junior born in 1979 and lastly Winnie Odinga born in 1990. Currently, Winnie is studying in Philadelphia at Drexel University, Communication and International Area Studies.
The family’s residence is in Karen, Nairobi County.
Raila Amolo Odinga Education background
Raila Odinga studied at Kisumu Union Primary school and later on went to Miranda High School. Afterwards, he was transferred to Germany in Leipzig University where he was part of the psychological faculty. He also got a scholarship to a technical college in East Germany known as Guericke University in the year 1965 where he pursued a diploma in Mechanical engineering and graduated in 1970 upon completion.
Raila Amolo Odinga career Journey
After completing his studies in Germany, Raila Amolo Odinga came back to Kenya. He opened up his first business which deals with manufacturing liquid petroleum gas cylinders. The compay’s name is East African Spectre, the only company in Kenya that manufactures liquid petroleum for gas cylinders which he runs till date.
He is also a civil engineer. He served at the Kenya Bureau of Standards as the manager and later on promoted to the deputy director post in the year 1978.
Politics
Raila Amolo Odinga also ventured into politics where he served as the Prime Minister of Kenya. He has also contested for the presidential seat several times now but unfortunately turned out to be unsuccessful. He was a running presidential candidate the years 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022 during the general elections but has been repeatedly defeated by other candidates.
2022 Presidential candidacy
He vied for the presidency in 2022 under the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Coalition party with Martha Karua as his running mate. Among his manifesto which he officially launched on 6th June 2022 at the Nyayo Stadium was: Social protection, job development, women empowerment, universal healthcare, education for all, making investments in youths, water Providence to all Kenyans, enterprise Kenya and food security to Kenyans. This vision for the country was dubbed ‘the people’s program’ which he promised as the foundation for his platform. However, this did not come to pass since he failed in the general elections to his close opponent, William Samoei Ruto.
High Representative for Infrastructure development
In the year 2018, Raila Odinga was appointed High Representative for Infrastructure development at the African Union Commission where he has served for a period of five years. He was relieved of this duty by the entity on 23rd February 2023.
He is currently serving as the opposition leader to the Kenyan government with Martha Karua, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka among many others as his allies.
Raila Amolo Odinga book
Raila is also an author of an autobiography “Flame of Freedom” which is about his childhood life. The book was launched in 2013 both in Kenya and the United States.
Raila Amolo Odinga Net worth.
The famous politician’s net worth is estimated to be around $500 million.