Lawyer Soyinka Lempaa has weighed in on remarks made by Ida Odinga during her vetting before Parliament’s Departmental Committee on Foreign Affairs, where she disclosed that her personal net worth stands at approximately KSh500 million.
Ida Odinga, who has been nominated as Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), clarified that part of the wealth belongs to the wider Odinga family in which she has an interest.
Speaking during the session, she stated: “There are things that belong to me, Ida, and then there are things that belong to the Odinga family, which I also have an interest in, but my net worth is about 500 million.”
Lempaa described the declaration as troubling in the context of youth unemployment and access to opportunities.
He argued that seeing a 75-year-old nominee publicly declare significant wealth while seeking public office raises questions about equity and inclusion in national leadership.
According to the lawyer, the disclosure highlights structural barriers facing young, qualified Kenyans who lack political connections or family ties to influential figures.
He suggested the situation reinforces perceptions that political lineage and proximity to power still play a significant role in accessing opportunities.
Lempaa further referenced the current administration’s adoption of the wheelbarrow as a political symbol, noting it was promoted as representing dignity in manual work, fairness, and empowerment of ordinary citizens.
He argued that the symbolism promised recognition and economic inclusion for workers and small-scale earners.
However, he said the visible concentration of wealth among political elites risks undermining that message.
He added that earlier political rhetoric emphasized dismantling entrenched dynasties and expanding access to national resources, but recent developments may suggest limited progress toward that goal.
The lawyer also linked the debate to frustrations expressed by Gen Z and young professionals who have demanded solutions to unemployment and an end to favoritism, tribalism, and patronage networks.
He warned that continued perceptions of exclusion could deepen public distrust in governance institutions.
Lempaa concluded by urging citizens to push for full implementation of the Constitution to ensure equitable distribution of national wealth and improved service delivery.
He cautioned that without meaningful reforms, Kenya risks maintaining progressive laws on paper while inequities persist in practice.