Millie Odhiambo | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament forSuba North Constituency | |
| Assumed office 15 January 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Otieno Kajwang |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1966-11-01)1 November 1966 (age 59) Homa Bay, Kenya |
| Party | Orange Democratic Movement |
| Alma mater | University of Nairobi |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona (born 1 November 1966) is a Kenyan politician. She originally trained as a lawyer, and has been a member of parliament since 2008. She was first nominated and later elected as a Member ofSuba North Constituency.[1]
Odhiambo was born in 1966 inHoma Bay to Harrison Odhiambo and Damaris Auma Odhiambo.[2] She is the fourth of eight children.[2] Her father Harrison Odhiambo died in 1973 in a boating accident, a moment that Odhiambo says helped spur her interest in politics.[3]
Millie attended nursery school,[2] St. Francis Girls Secondary School and Limuru Girls High School before she attended theUniversity of Nairobi in 1986. She graduated in 1990 with aBachelor of Laws degree.[4] She would later study in theUnited States,Sweden andItaly.[4]
She began her career in the attorney general's office practicing civil litigation before moving on to human rights law, with an emphasis on women and children.[4] In 1999 she served as chairperson of the Coalition on Violence Against Women-Kenya and from 2000 to 2008 was the founder and director of the CRADLE Children's Foundation, an organization working to improve children's rights in the legal system.[4]
Odhiambo was nominated as a candidate Member of Parliament in 2007 by theOrange Democratic Movement[4][5] and then elected as a member of theOrange Democratic Movement in the2013 Kenyan general election.[4][6] Since taking her seat in Parliament, Kenyan media have described her as "controversial" and "outspoken".[7][8]
Millie married Magugu Mabona ofZimbabwe in 2006.[9]
Odhiambo is a stepmother to Mabona's daughter Lebo, who lives inBotswana.[3] She has been vocal about her struggle growing up withuterine fibroids, which led to both painfulmenstrual cycles and difficulty conceiving children.[10]Drawing from her personal experience, Millie champions for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Bill 2022, a landmark law creating the nation’s first legal framework for services like IVF and surrogacy.[11][12]
Her book ""Rig Or Be Rigged? is based on her experiences and that of other women leaders.[13]
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| National | |
