This archive report was first published on 12 September 2019.
On September 12, 2019, Ida Odinga, the wife of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, delivered a scathing critique of McDonald Mariga's decision to pursue a career in politics.
Speaking at an event in Kisumu, Ida Odinga poked fun at Mariga's woes with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) after he was barred from running for the Kibra MP seat.
The seat had fallen vacant following the death of Ken Okoth, who had been battling cancer.
Ida Odinga suggested that Mariga would have been better off sticking to his successful football career, which had taken him around the world.
She drew a comparison between Mariga and Dennis Oliech, stating that Mariga's legacy would suffer as a result of his career change.
“Have you heard of the name Dennis Oliech? What has he excelled in? Football isn’t it? Think of Mariga, I can not use that as a good example because, when he changed the profession, you see how he failed,” Ida told the crowd at the Kisumu event.
She added, “If he would have stuck to football he would do much much better,”
