Manyora: How Ruto’s UNEP Appointment Quietly Weakened Ida Odinga’s Political Influence

Political analyst Herman Manyora has claimed that President William Ruto made a strategic mistake by appointing Ida Odinga as Kenya’s representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Speaking during his daily political analysis on Tuesday, February 11, 2026, Manyora argued that the appointment stripped Ida of the symbolic power she held within the Luo community and the wider ODM political movement.

According to Manyora, Ida Odinga had long occupied a respected matriarchal position that gave her strong moral and political influence, especially in Nyanza.

He said this influence could have been useful to President Ruto ahead of the 2027 elections.

“Ruto succeeded in destroying Mama Ida politically. All her credibility is gone. She was on the throne, but now she has become a commoner,” Manyora said.

He explained that before the UNEP role, politicians and government officials frequently sought Ida’s counsel at her homes in Bondo and Karen.

These visits, he said, carried deep symbolic meaning and reinforced her authority.

“If Ida had refused this job, Ruto himself would have been consulting her in Karen or Bondo,” Manyora added.

Manyora said Ida’s presence and endorsement once carried huge political weight. 

He noted that even a simple public appearance with her could influence voters in Nyanza.

“Just being seen having tea with Ida in Bondo would have been a big deal. Hosting a politician at her Opoda farm for lunch could change political tides,” he said.

However, he argued that the UNEP appointment shifted her from a revered cultural figure to a regular public official, weakening her ability to influence political direction.

“But now, that power is gone. Ruto destroyed that advantage completely,” Manyora said.

(Photo courtesy)

The analyst also spoke about Ida’s importance within the Odinga family structure.

He said she played a key symbolic and spiritual role in sustaining the Jaramogi political lineage and ODM’s identity.

According to Manyora, Oburu Odinga represents senior family leadership, while Raila Odinga Jr represents the next political generation. Ida, he said, remained the most influential figure behind the scenes.

“She was supposed to hold that symbolic mantle and later pass it on, possibly to Winnie Odinga,” he explained.