Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga’s sister, Ruth Odinga has revealed the hardships that come with bearing the name Odinga.
The Kisumu County Deputy Governor said that the family has suffered discrimination from even the government because of her brother’s political ambition.
According to Ruth, members of the larger Odinga family have found it difficult to get elective and public service jobs, due to their brother’s political ambition, lamenting that it is hard to be an Odinga, contrary to what many would think.
“Even when we run for elective seats, it is the people who hold the sovereign power to decide who to pick and so it may not necessarily be an automatic win as some always perceive it to be,” she said.
The soft-spoken politician cited her elder brother, Oburu Odinga whose bid to run for the Bondo parliamentary seat and his application to become a member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) were met with protests.
“Why should there be protests when any member of the Odinga family runs for an elective post just because of Raila, despite our qualifications?” posed Ruth.
Ruth, who is keen on retaining her Kisumu Deputy Governor seat after being appointed as the running mate to ODM nominee for Kisumu Governor Dr. Anyang’ Nyong’o, also revealed that a section of ODM supporters were also sidelining the Odingas over their brother, Raila.
