Kenyan Parliament Vets Ida Betty Odinga for UNEP Permanent Representative Role

Africa, Environment, Sports

NAIROBI, KENYA (NPA): The Kenyan Parliament on Friday conducted a vetting session for Ida Betty Odinga, widow of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, following her nomination by President William Ruto as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The National Assembly Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations assessed her competencies, qualifications, and experience, as well as her ability to advance Kenya’s interests in global environmental diplomacy. The 75-year-old pledged to champion equitable climate financing, strengthen international cooperation, and amplify African voices in shaping global environmental policy. She also outlined plans to diversify funding streams by engaging the private sector and philanthropic partners to sustain UNEP programmes amid declining donor support.

Raila Odinga, one of Kenya’s most influential political figures, served as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013 and contested the presidency multiple times between 1997 and 2022. He was widely recognized for his role in advancing constitutional reforms, multiparty democracy, and infrastructure development across Africa, including his tenure as the African Union’s High Representative for Infrastructure Development.

Odinga passed away on October 15, 2025, at the age of 80 in Kerala, India, after suffering a heart attack, according to agency reports.