Millie Odhiambo: From nomination to longest serving woman MP

By Peter Ochieng

Suba North Member of Parliament (MP) Millie Grace Akoth Mabona, simply known as Millie Odhiambo is the longest serving woman legislature in the 13th Parliament.

She first joined the National Assembly in 2008, having been nominated by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party in the wake of the 2007 post-election violence. Not the one to feel content with nomination, she threw herself in the Mbita Parliamentary ring in 2013, winning the race.

The constituency was later subdivided into Suba North and Suba South – represented by Caroli Omondi. She won in 2017 and again in 2022, which means she is serving her fourth term, making her the longest serving female MP in the 13th Parliament.

The longest serving legislature in the current Parliament is Adan Kaynan of Eldas, who is in his 5th term in Parliament. Millie Odhiambo is an alumnus of Limuru Girls in Kiambu County, where she attained her ‘A’ level certificate in 1986.

She joined Nairobi University for a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), before attaining a Post Graduate Diploma in Professional Legal Studies at the Kenya School of Law in 1991.

Her other academic honours include a Post Graduate Diploma, Advanced International Course on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law from the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Sweden, Legal Prevention and Judicial Control of Corruption at IDLI, Rome, Italy and Master of Laws (LL.M) in Public Service Law at the New York University, USA, attained in 2000.

Millie was nominated by ODM perhaps due to her outstanding role in fighting for human rights, with her previous roles including serving as a legal counsel litigation at FIDA, Program Officer, Gender and Access to Justice Program at ICJ Kenya, Committee member of the Child Welfare Society of Kenya, Adoption Committee and initiating the CRADLE Children Foundation.

On the floor of the House, she is one of the outspoken members with her contributions focusing on defending the rights of women and girls.

In June 2024, she advised young girls and women to toughen up and avoid being bound by societal expectations to be "good" all the time.

“One of my favourite books is ‘Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office.’ Mr. Speaker, this is in response to what you were telling me earlier in the morning, when you were urging me to be a good example to the girls,” she told National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.

“Mr. Speaker, if they’re good girls, they’ll never get the corner office, be as bad as Millie Odhiambo, you will be the mother of this House. I am a bad girl, and as a bad girl I’m here serving my fourth term; so, do not be cheated like the African culture where you’re told have decorum, dress nicely, be kind, be nice…I’m telling you you’ll go nowhere, be a bad girl like me and you’ll get somewhere.”

She has sponsored several Bills in Parliament, including the Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill, 2022.

The vocal legislature is yet to give an indication of her next political actions, making it unclear on whether she will defend her MP seat in 2027 or not.