Oburu Odinga Biography: From Economist to Senior Kenyan Politician

Dr Oburu Oginga Odinga is a veteran Kenyan politician and economist whose public career spans more than five decades, taking him from local government and the civil service to Parliament, regional politics and the Senate.

He is the Senator for Siaya County and serves as the party leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). ODM describes him as the elder brother of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and a politician with decades of experience in Kenyan public life.

Early life and family

Oburu was born on October 15, 1943, into the Odinga family, one of Kenya’s most prominent political families.

He is the son of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first Vice-President, and the elder brother of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. His sister Ruth Odinga has also been active in Kenyan politics.

His family’s political history has had a major influence on Kenya’s post-independence politics, with Jaramogi becoming a prominent nationalist leader and later a leading opposition figure.

Education

Oburu pursued much of his education in the Soviet Union.

According to records published by the Kenyan Parliament, he attended Soviet Secondary School in Moscow between 1962 and 1964 before joining the People’s Friendship University, also in Moscow.

He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, followed by a Master’s degree in Economics between 1965 and 1967. He later earned a PhD in Economics between 1968 and 1970.

His economics training would later form the foundation of his career in government planning and public finance.

Early career

Before entering national politics, Oburu served in local government.

He was an elected councillor in the Kisumu Municipality between 1974 and 1979, giving him his first experience in elected public office.

He later joined the Ministry of Planning and National Development, where he worked as an economist from 1981 to 1994.

The experience gave him a background in economic planning and government policy before he moved into national politics.

Entry into Parliament

Oburu entered the National Assembly in 1994, when he became the Member of Parliament for Bondo Constituency.

He retained the seat until 2013, making him one of the longest-serving MPs from the region.

During the Grand Coalition Government formed after the disputed 2007 presidential election, Oburu served as Assistant Minister for Finance from 2008 to 2013.

His role in the Finance Ministry placed him in government during a period of major economic and political reforms following the 2007-08 post-election crisis.

After leaving the Bondo parliamentary seat, he served as a nominated Member of Parliament from 2013 to 2017, according to parliamentary records.

East African Legislative Assembly

Oburu subsequently moved into regional politics.

He served in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) from 2018 to 2022, where he was both a Member and Commissioner.

His EALA tenure expanded his political work beyond Kenya and into regional integration and East African affairs.

Siaya Senator

In the 2022 General Election, Oburu returned to elective politics at the county level, winning the Siaya Senate seat on the ODM ticket.

He succeeded James Orengo as Senator for Siaya County. Parliament currently lists him as the county’s senator and an ODM member.

His return to elective politics placed him once again at the centre of national political debates while representing his home county in the Senate.

Rise to ODM leadership

Oburu’s political profile grew further following the death of his younger brother, Raila Odinga, in 2025.

He was initially appointed acting leader of ODM and subsequently became the party’s leader. ODM’s current leadership page identifies him as both party leader and Senator for Siaya County.

His elevation placed him at the helm of one of Kenya’s major political parties and made him a key figure in the political legacy of the Odinga family.

Author

Oburu has also documented his personal and political journey in his autobiography, In the Shadow of My Father, published in 2021.

The book offers an account of his upbringing, education, family history and experiences in Kenyan public life.

Political legacy

Oburu Odinga’s career has followed an unusual trajectory: economist, local councillor, civil servant, Member of Parliament, assistant minister, regional legislator and senator.

His parliamentary record spans the Bondo constituency, the National Assembly and the East African Legislative Assembly, before his return to elective politics as Siaya senator.

His current position as ODM leader has given him an additional role in shaping the future of a party closely associated with his late brother Raila Odinga and the wider Odinga political tradition.