By Prudence Minayo
Millie Akoth Odhiambo Mabona is a seasoned Kenyan politician known for her outspoken personality. She is a vocal member of the Orange Democratic Party (ODM) and a staunch supporter of Raila Amolo Odinga-the party leader. From a very young age, Millie knew that she wanted to be a politician and worked towards achieving her goals.
For more than 10 years, she has served as a member of parliament in Kenya. She is proudly half luo and half Suba. Millie is passionate about fighting for the rights of women and children and is not afraid to call out any person she feels is undermining them. For eight years (2000 to 2008), she was the founder and director of the Cradle Children’s Foundation. The organization was working towards improving the rights of children in the legal system.
Age
The seasoned politician was born on 1st November 1966.
Family
Millie is the fourth born in a family of eight children. She was born in Homa Bay to Damaris and Harrison Odhiambo. Unfortunately, a boating accident killed her father in 1973, a year before she vied for the Mbita parliamentary seat. This death is what ignited the political spark within her and she knew politics was what she would pursue.
Marriage
The MP is married to a Zimbabwe national named Magugu Mabona. The two met online and got married on 14th February 2006. In a 2010 interview with The Standard, she revealed that her husband was not intimidated with her success. Their long distance relationship has worked out for them so far and she has a step child but no biological children.
Education
The member of parliament attended Homa Bay Primary School then proceeded to St. Francis Girls High School. She then completed her high school education at Limuru Girls High School.
In 1986, she joined the University of Nairobi where she pursued and successfully graduated with a Bachelor of Law Degree. Later on, she pursued further studies in Sweden, the United States of America and Italy.
Courtesy of parliament.go.ke
|
From |
To |
Education Institution |
Qualification |
|
2000 |
2001 |
New York University, USA |
Master of Laws (LL.M) in Public Service Law |
|
1998 |
1998 |
IDLI, Rome, Italy |
Legal Prevention and Judicial Control of Corruption |
|
1997 |
1998 |
Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Sweden |
Post Graduate Diploma , Advanced International Course on Human Rights & Humanitarian Law |
|
1997 |
1997 |
Les Aspin Center, Washington, D.C. & Marquette University Wisconsin, USA |
Democracy and Governance |
|
1991 |
1991 |
Kenya School of Law |
Post Graduate Diploma in Professional Legal Studies |
|
1986 |
1990 |
University of Nairobi |
Bachelor of Laws (LLB) |
|
1985 |
1986 |
Limuru Girls High School |
‘A’ Level Certificate |
|
1981 |
1984 |
St. Francis Girls Secondary School |
‘O’ Level Certificate |
Career
The qualified lawyer began her career journey at the attorney general’s office. She started with civil litigation before moving to human rights law specializing on women and children.
In 1999, she was the Chairperson of Coalition of Violence against Women-Kenya.
2.Employment/Service History:
|
From |
To |
Employer/Institution |
Position Held |
|
March 2013 |
To date |
Kenya National Assembly |
Member of Parliament, Mbita Constituency |
|
2008 |
January 2013 |
Kenya National Assembly |
Nominated Member of Parliament |
|
2007 |
To date |
Kenya Task Force on the Implementation of the Sexual Offences Act |
Member |
|
2000; 2003 |
2008 |
The CRADLE Children Foundation |
Founder & Chief Executive |
|
2002 |
2012 |
Legal Advice Center, Kituo Cha Sheria |
Member of AGM |
|
2002 |
2010 |
Child Welfare Society of Kenya, Adoption Committee |
Committee Member |
|
2001 |
2001 |
Global Public Service Law Program, New York University |
Fellow |
|
1999 |
2000 |
L’Etwal International |
Programs Manager, East & Southern Africa Women and Children’s Right |
|
1999 |
2000 |
Coalition on Violence Against Women-Kenya |
Chairperson |
|
1998 |
1999 |
ICJ (K) |
Program Officer, Gender and Access to Justice Program |
|
1996 |
1998 |
FIDA (K) |
Legal Counsel, Litigation |
|
1993 |
1996 |
State Law Office (AG’s Chambers) |
State Counsel, Civil Litigation |
- 3.Membership to Committees (10th Parliament):
|
From |
To |
Committee/Caucus |
Position Held |
|
2010 |
January 2013 |
Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee |
Vice Chairperson |
|
2008 |
2010 |
Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs Committee |
Vice Chairperson |
|
2009 |
2010 |
Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution |
Member |
|
2008 |
January 2013 |
Parliamentary Committee on Powers and Privileges |
Member |
|
2009 |
2010 |
Parliamentary Select Committee on Root Causes of Cattle Rustling |
Member |
|
2008 |
2009 |
Parliamentary Select Committee on Unlawful Organizations |
Member |
|
2008 |
To date |
Parliamentary Caucus on Children |
Chairperson |
|
2008 |
To date |
Kenya Women Parliamentary Association |
Member |
|
2009 |
To date |
Parliamentary Caucus on Reforms |
Member |
- 4.Membership to Committees & Other Parliaments (11th Parliament):
|
From |
To |
Committee |
Position Held |
|
2013 |
2017 |
Departmental Committee on Agriculture, Livestock & Cooperatives |
Member |
|
2013 |
2017 |
Pan-African Parliament |
Member |
- 5.Membership to Committees (12th Parliament):
|
From |
To |
Committee |
Position Held |
|
2017 |
To date |
Budget and Appropriation Committee |
Member |
Politics
Millie supported the Orange Democratic Movement and in 2007 the party nominated her as Member of Parliament for Mbita Constituency which is currently referred to as Suba North constituency.
In the 2013 general elections, she was elected as the Suba North Member of Parliament under the ODM party.
The Kenyan media has referred to her as outspoken, no- nonsense, courageous and controversial among other adjectives. She is known for expressing her views without mincing words and has even called out a number of politicians whom she feels have overstepped their boundaries/ have opposing views. Recently, she was accused of allegedly heckling the deputy president William Ruto but she denied this. This was during the launch of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) at Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi.
“ I was answering his questions because he was asking us questions about what should be done, and I was basically reminding him he is the deputy president and I should be asking him the questions he was asking and not vice versa, ” she said during an interview with KTN News.
It is not the first time the MP has differed with a politician or expressed her views openly. At one time, she stormed Parliament demanding the proceedings be stopped on a point of order, in a different incident she almost stripped naked in parliament while opposing how they were being treated and in the past she has set Twitter On fire by attacking president Uhuru Kenyatta.
