Rosemary Odinga
Kenyan entrepreneur and advocate for alternative agriculture
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rosemary Odinga (born August 13, 1977) is a Kenyan entrepreneur. She is known for being a snail farmer.[1][2]
Rosemary Odinga | |
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| Born | August 13, 1977 Nairobi, Kenya |
| Education | Howard University University of Dallas |
| Occupations | Snail farmer, entrepreneur |
Political party | Orange Democratic Movement |
| Parent(s) | Raila Amolo Odinga, Ida Odinga |
| Family | Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (grandfather) |
Personal life and education
Odinga was born August 13, 1977, and is the second child of Ida and the late Raila Odinga, a Kenyan politician.[3] She earned a BA in sociology from Howard University and an MBA in marketing from the University of Dallas.[4]
In 2017 Odinga lost her sight due to a tumor and an aneurysm. She regained her sight in 2019, after treatment at an "Ayurvedic eye hospital-cum-research centre" in Ernakulam, India.[5] She has two daughters.[6]
Career
Snail farming
Odinga visited former Nigerian president and snail farmer Olusegun Obasanjo, who challenged her to think about farming snails herself. She returned to Kenya and, after researching the University of Nairobi she was given 13 giant African land snails in 2007 from which she started to breed. She built a greenhouse on her farm in Kiserian. By 2015 she had 3,000 snails which she sells through her business, Shelltops Ltd. She specialises in Achatina fulica from East Africa. Of her farming, Odinga was quoted as saying "I believe engaging in farming is a sign of patriotism because one is contributing towards food security."[7]
Politics
Odinga joined her father’s presidential campaign team in 2007 and in 2013, when she was a member of lobby group 'Nairobi for Raila'. In 2017, she intended to contest the Kibera constituency parliamentary seat but was forced to step down due to her illness.[8]
