Raila Odinga

Who is Raila Odinga?

Raila Amolo Odinga, also popularly known to his supporters as Agwambo, Tinga and Baba, is a Kenyan politician who was Prime Minister of Kenya, leading to a coalition government, from 2008 to 2013. He was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Langata in 1992, served as Minister of Energy from 2001 to 2002 and as Minister of Roads, Public Works, and Housing from 2003 to 2005. He was the main opposition candidate in the 2007 presidential election. Following a violent post-electoral crisis, Odinga took office as Prime Minister in April 2008,serving as supervisor and coordinator of a national unity coalition government. He came in second in Kenya's 2013 presidential elections after garnering 5,340,546 votes which represented 43.28% of the total votes cast. Son of first Vice President of Kenya, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. The family's origin in Kenya's Luo tribe has been a key to their political activity. Raila is commonly known by his first name due to coincidence: he was an MP at the same time as his father between 1992 and 1994.