Born on 7 January 1945, Kenya’s political history cannot be complete without mentioning Raila Odinga.

Raila Odinga started his political journey in 1992 when he Joined Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD) after coming back to the country from exile.

 In the same year, he vied for the first time as a member of parliament for Langata and won.

Sadly, he fell out with the leadership of Ford Kenya and formed the National Democratic Party (NDP).

He is popularly known for leading the merger between KANU and Ford Kenya.

 He served as the Minister of Energy from 2001 to 2002 and became Kenya’s second Prime Minister in 2008.

He has unsuccessfully vied for the presidency six times (in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022).

Despite his long stay in opposition and controversial political life, Raila Odinga has many achievements under his belt.

Let’s look at some of his main achievements.

Raila Odinga Main Achievements

1. He has been at the forefront of the struggle for democracy and upholding the rule of law in Kenya.

His struggle for democracy started in September 1988 when he was arrested for his pro-democracy and human rights agitation when Kanu was the only political party in the country.

He fled to Norway after his release on 21 June 1991 for fear of being assassinated.

His fight for democracy bore fruits when President Daniel Arap Moi allowed for the restoration of a multiparty government in December 1991.

2. Dualling of Langata Road

During his time as the member of parliament of Langata constituency (between 1992 and March 2013), he undertook major projects that endeared him to the electorate.

For example, he sponsored a motion in parliament that resulted in the dualling of the Langata Road in the 1997-98 financial year.

This project massively reduced the traffic gridlock on Langata road.

3. Dethroned the ‘’oppressive’’ Moi regime

He differed his presidential ambitions in 2002 to support Mwai Kibaki, which led to the removal of the oppressive Moi regime.

Kibaki’s win ushered in a new era of democracy and economic development in Kenya.

4. Undertook significant projects as the Roads minister

As the Roads minister during the Mwai Kibaki administration, he initiated and oversaw the paving of Mbagathi Way using concrete.

The concrete paving is a replica of the autobahns of Germany.

The road has never been repaired since construction and it’s a reference point for civil engineering students today.

He also initiated and oversaw the upgrade of houses in Kibera slums with funding from international agencies, such as UN-HABITAT.

He also launched and oversaw the implementation of the Kibra Highrise slum-upgrading programme with the help of the National Housing Corporation.

He established an ultra-modern health facility at Laini Saba in partnership with multiple health organizations, including Amref.

Through the help of these health organizations, he also established the Raila Education Centre to support education.

5. He executed major projects as the country’s Prime Minister (between 2007 and 2013)

The main projects initiated by Raila during the Kibaki tenure were the Standard Gauge Railway and the Nairobi Expressway, which were actualized by Uhuru Kenyatta.

He also designed the Kenya Vision 2030 (the country’s development programme from 2008 to 2030) during the coalition government with Mwai Kibaki.

The aim of the Vision 2030 is to create “a globally competitive and prosperous nation, with a high quality of life by transforming it into a newly industrialized, and middle-income country.’’

He bravely championed for the environment by ordering the eviction of illegal Mau Forest Dwellers.

The Mau Forest is an important water catchment area in Kenya.

6. The 2018 handshake

He accepted a political truce with President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018 that lowered the political temperature and allowed economic development to take the front seat.

The handshake enabled the speedy completion of the Nairobi Expressway and the transformation of Nairobi City through the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).

Raila Odinga Challenges

Despite all the achievements in his political life, Raila has had a fair share of challenges.

 While he managed to overcome most of them, some have denied him the opportunity to lead this country and threatened his political career and life.

Some of the challenges he has faced include:

I. Charged with treason

Raila Odinga was charged with treason for his alleged involvement in the 1982 coup. He was detained for 6 years.

II. 1988 arrest

After he was released from detention, he was rearrested for his involvement in multiparty campaigns.

He was released on 12 June 1989, but rearrested again in 1990.

When he was released in 1991, he fled to Norway for fear of being assassinated.

III. Lost the presidency 5 times

In 1995, he viewed for the presidency and lost.

He also lost the 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022 presidential elections.

IV. The 2005 referendum upset

While he successfully mobilized to oppose the 2005 constitutional amendment referendum, he and his party were expelled from the government by Kibaki.

Parting Thoughts

Despite many challenges in his political life, Raila is around and influences Kenyan politics massively.

In fact, most politicians opposing Raila admit that it’s very hard to govern this country without his support.

The fact that he is still in opposition, he will face many challenges.

But what is for sure is that the current administration will struggle to deliver when he is vehemently opposing them.

Richest Senators in Kenya Right Now (2023)

The Senate is one of the most lucrative political seats in the current Kenyan constitution.

It is among the best-paying political jobs, where elected senators take home a basic monthly salary of around 510,000, which can go up to 750,000 if you add allowances.

Such a salary can create immense wealth in ten years for those lucky enough to get two serving terms.

 It is safe to say that senators fall into the category of rich people in Kenya, but some senators have more wealth than others.

So, who are the wealthiest Kenyan senators in 2023? Let’s take a look.

1. Hon. Tabitha Karanja Keroche

Hon Tabitha may be serving her first-ever political seat in Kenya as Nakuru senator.

Still, she qualifies to be on this list because of her role as a Founder, CEO, and Director of Keroche Breweries Limited.

She has an estimated net worth of $5 million, thanks to her Family’s beer processing plant in Naivasha that rakes in billions in revenue annually.

This means that Tabitha continues to earn from the company as a founder while still enjoying the senatorial salary. 

 The Keroche company was involved in tax arrears-related wrangles with the KRA for the better part of last year that saw it closed down temporarily, but the issue has since been resolved. 

2. Hon. Boni Khalwale

Popularly known as the bullfighter, Boni Khalwale has made a name for himself in Kenyan politics.

He started as an elected MP for Ikolomani Constituency back in 2002 and has risen to the ranks of becoming the Kakamega senator, currently serving his second term in the county.

Most of Khal wale’s fortune is from politics which is his primary career, boasting a net worth ranging between $1-$5 million.

The openly polygamous politician’s wealth could also be running some businesses or companies in the background, given that he has to take care of his large family.

3. Hon. Oburu Odinga

Currently serving as the senator for Siaya County, the brother to Raila Odinga, is also one of the longest-serving politicians in Kenya, which has helped him create immense wealth.

The net worth of the 79-year-old ranges between $3-$5 million.

He has served as an MP, EALA representative, and now as a senator.

Hon. Oburu also served as an assistant minister in the finance docket during Kibaki’s grand coalition government in which his brother Hon. Raila was a Prime Minister. 

4. Hon. Kathuri Murungi

Kathuri Murungi was one the best-performing Members of Parliament before he decided to give the senatorial seat a try in the last year’s general elections.

He is now the senator for Meru County and the deputy speaker of the senate.

Besides receiving a senator’s salary, he is also taking home an additional estimate of Ksh925,000 for his role as the deputy speaker.

He has created wealth from his political career, given that he also served on several parliamentary committees.

This role also contributed to the overall monthly salary.

5. Senator Ledama Ole Kina

Also known as the defender of Maasai rights, Ledama is a wealthy politician currently serving as the Narok County senator.

His net worth is estimated at $5 million from his salary, parliamentary committee stipends, and businesses.

He has an expensive mansion with a basketball pitch and a spacious parking lot.

The vocal and controversial senator also revealed that he had built his farm manager a two-bedroom house worth Ksh1.1 million last year. 

6. Okiya Andrew Omtata

Omtata is a decorated name in Kenya because he has been a political activist and human rights defender for several years.

Last year, he ventured into active politics and won the Busia County senatorial seat with a little-known NRC party.

Over the years, he has accumulated his wealth from local and international NGO funding for his activism, and now he has a senate salary to add to it.

 On top of that, Okiya is also a businessman and has accumulated over Ksh 20 million in wealth.

7. Hon. Jackson Kiplagat Mandago

Mandago is the current senator for Uasin Gishu county, having served as the county’s Governor for two successive terms.

In his duration as a politician since 2013, he has accumulated wealth by buying and building rental properties back in Uasin Gishu and Nairobi County.

Jackson is also believed to own construction companies through third parties.

His net worth stands approximately between $1-$5 million. 

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The Poorest Senators in Kenya

Richest Governors in Kenya Right Now (2023)

Becoming a governor in Kenya is one of the quickest ways to become rich, given the heft monthly salary and accompanying allowances.

Kenyan governors earn close to a million every month.

However, some governors have more than one source of income—some have businesses and big companies running in the background.

Others were previously Senators and Parliament members, also well-paying jobs.

It is safe to say that some governors have accumulated more wealth than others.

To know who is who, here is a list of the wealthiest Kenyan governors presently:

1. Ann Waiguru

Waiguru is serving her second term as Kirinyaga County Governor.

The governor is also earning additional income from her role as the current chairperson of the Council of Governors.

She previously worked in Uhuru Kenyatta’s cabinet for the devolution docket, a time when the misappropriation of NYS funds happened.

Approximated to be worth 2.87 billion Kenyan shillings, Ann also previously worked for Uhuru before he became the president.

Besides her government salary, Anne has also invested in real estate and other income-generating ventures.

2. Anyang’ Nyongo

Anyang’ is in his second term as Kisumu County governor.

He was the county’s senator before giving the governor seat a try.

Having been in active politics since the early 1990s, Anyang has served in several government dockets as a Minister and MP.

He has so far accumulated wealth worth 2 billion Kenyan shillings.

Anyang is also an accomplished author and the father to the Oscar-winning actress Luputa Nyongo.

He also runs his businesses away from the political roles entrusted to him.

3. Johnson Sakaja

Sakaja is a promising young man in the world of politics.

He is the governor of Nairobi at just 37, meaning he has a lot of time to accomplish bigger political dreams, even vying for the presidency.

Sakaja ventured into active politics back in 2013 when he was nominated to the Parliament by the TNA coalition.

He would then compete for the senatorial seat in 2017 and win, and later go for the governor’s seat in 2022 and clinch it.

He has amassed significant wealth during his stint in the political arena.

Not to be mistaken, Sakaja was a hard worker before he joined politics.

He has a consultancy business, and his current fortune ranges between $3-5$ million.

4. Susan Kihika

Another young go-getter in Kenyan politics, Susan, has risen to three political ranks in three election periods.

She started as a women’s rep for Nakuru County, became a senator, and now she has the county’s plum job, governor.

Susan lived a privileged life since she is from a well-off family, and the political roles entrusted to her over the years have helped her gain more wealth.

She has invested in real estate and agriculture, and her overall net worth ranges between $1-$6 million. 

5. George Natembeya

Natembeya became a popular name when serving as a regional commissioner for the Rift Valley due to his comic approach in public addresses.

It was a shocking surprise when he announced that he was resigning from his commissioner job to join politics.

Still, Kenyans knew that he had a higher chance of clinching the Uasin Gishu Gubernatorial seat given his popularity.

He did win and is the current governor of Uasin Gishu county.

He has accumulated property worth between $1-$2 million in the time he has served as a civil servant and now a governor.

It is worth noting that Natembeya was also previously a District Officer and a personal assistant to the late John Michuki. 

6. Kimani Wamatangi

The current Governor of Kiambu County, Wamatangi previously held the senatorial role.

He was also part of parliamentary committees while in the Senate.

Kimani has investments in real estate, hospitality, and technology.

He also runs a charity foundation, using his wealth to help the less fortunate.

His wealth is estimated between $1-$3 million.

7. Ken Lusaka

Ken Lusaka is serving his second term as Bungoma’s governor.

He first became the county’s governor in 2012 but was unseated during 2017’s general elections.

He, however, made his way to the senate as the speaker, where he earned a monthly salary of 1.1 million Kenyan shillings, more than he had lost for the governor’s seat.

His comeback as the county’s governor is set to increase his fortune.

He was the governor when Bungoma’s 100,000 per wheelbarrow expenditure hit the headlines in the country.

He has a fortune worth $5 million.

You may also want to check:

Richest Senators in Kenya Right Now (2023)

The Poorest Senators in Kenya

is Raila richer than Ruto? This is one of the questions that linger in most Kenyans’ minds.

Well, before Ruto became the vice president, you could say with certainty that ‘’Raila is richer than Ruto.’’

But today, you can’t say that for sure because Ruto has amassed substantial wealth since becoming the vice president.

 So, to answer this question, we have to compare what Raila and Ruto own first.

What Raila Owns

Raila has amassed substantial wealth throughout his political career and most of his assets have appreciated substantially in the past few years.

He generated his wealth from politics, business in oil and gas, land, manufacturing and other ventures. Here are the assets and companies owned by Raila:

According to an article published on the Nation website, Raila’s business empire includes:

• A substantial stake in BeEnergy

• Spectre International ltd (The holding company for the Kisumu Molasses plant)

• East Africa Spectre (A company that manufactures liquid petroleum gas cylinders in Kenya)

• Kisumu molasses plant (A company that produces ethanol and manufacturers fertilizer)

• Pan African Petroleum ltd (A multimillion oil and gas depot that provides petroleum energy solutions to millions of Kenyans).

• A holiday home in Mombasa

• A multi-million family home in Karen, Nairobi.

• A multi-million house in Runda

• Opoda Ranch in Bondo

• A state-of-the-art home in Riat, Kisumu, estimated to be worth kshs 1 billion.

• 2 choppers for hire worth approximately Ksh.500 million. He also uses the choppers for his political campaigns.

• A fleet of expensive cars composed of Toyota Prados and Mercedes Benz.

With these assets and companies, it’s easy to see that Raila is a wealthy man.

According to Miguna Miguna, his former senior adviser on coalition affairs during the coalition government, Raila is worth approximately $2 billion (That’s about Ksh 200 billion)

What Ruto Owns

Ruto has also amassed a lot of wealth throughout his political life.

But he got the vast majority of his wealth when he became the vice president.

Here is a highlight of assets and companies owned by Ruto:

According to an article published on the Nation website, Ruto’s business empire includes:

• Weston Hotel (A 4-star hotel in Nairobi worth over Ksh 2.5 billion)

• Amaco Insurance (He teamed up with friends to start this insurance company. He is the biggest shareholder in the company, with about Ksh 1 billion. Amaco made a lot of money during the last days of the Moi regime).

• Sentrim 680 Hotel worth about Ksh 3.1 billion

• Dolphin Hotel in Mombasa worth about Ksh 600 million.

• MediaMax Networks and K24 TV station (He is the largest shareholder, with 87% of the shares)

• Residential properties in Nairobi, along Jogoo Road valued at about Ksh 1.6 billion

• Osere flats in Rongai valued at about Ksh 500 million.

• Uasin Gishu homestead valued at about Ksh 1.3 billion. The homestead has a man-made lake and an airstrip.

• A residential home in Karen valued at Ksh 500 million

• 5 choppers valued at Ksh 1.3 billion

• Orterter Enterprises ltd (A real estate company valued at Ksh 2.5 billion)

• A Poultry Business Hub in Uasin Gishu country valued at Ksh 830 million

From the list of properties and companies above, it’s no doubt that Ruto is a wealthy man.

And because he is now the president of Kenya, expect him to amass even more wealth.

Now to the question at hand, is Raila richer than Ruto?

If you look at the two politicians’ wealth portfolios, it can be difficult to tell who is richer than the other.

But many local and international publications rank Raila above Ruto when it comes to riches.

So, Yes, Raila is richer than Ruto.