DNK International By Our Reporter,Nairobi
Busia Woman representative Catherine Nakhabi Omanyo “Kipepeo” has been elevated to the national politics after the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Executive Committee (NEC) appointed her acting party Secretary General.
This followed the immediate removal of Edwin Sifuna from the influential post yesterday.
She was until her elevation to the acting position post,ODM’s deputy secretary general that was serving the late party leader the late Raila Odinga and retained by the new leader Oburu Oginga after the demise of RAO.
In the same far reaching changes, the NEC kicked out Saboti MP Caleb Amisi as Deputy Organising Secretary and replaced him with Busia Governor Paul Otuoma, while veteran politician Kipkorir Menjo and Taita Taveta Senator Johnes Mwaruma were also dropped from the NEC, signalling a decisive reorganisation as the party repositions itself ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Omanyo was born on July 7, 1978, in Busia County.
She rose from a childhood marked by hardship to become one of the most recognisable women leaders in Western Kenya.
Raised in a large family, her father died when she was just 14, forcing her mother to single handedly fight for her children’s education against deep rooted cultural and economic challenges.
Those early struggles shaped Omanyo’s lifelong passion for education, social justice and women’s empowerment.
She studied at the University of Nairobi, where she earned a Bachelor of Education (Arts), training as a teacher before branching into leadership, governance and civil society work.
Over the years, she has undertaken additional leadership and governance programmes locally and internationally, sharpening her skills in advocacy, public policy and political organisation.
Professionally, Omanyo worked as an educationist, activist and administrator, founding and running schools and education programmes aimed at supporting vulnerable and underprivileged children, particularly from informal settlements and rural areas.
Away from classrooms and boardrooms, Omanyo is also widely known for her love of AFC Leopards, one of Kenya’s most storied football clubs thR has its much following and ardent supporters in western Kenya where she hails from.
In the early 2 000’s, she was an enthusiastic supporter who regularly participated in fan activities, mobilisation drives and match day engagements, especially in Nairobi.
For those who know her well say that she may have sought an elective post in AFC Leopards post or shown interest to lead it.
While she never held a formal leadership post within the club, her active presence during that period earned her recognition among supporters as a committed “Ingwe” loyalist who used sport as a platform for social bonding and youth engagement.
Her political journey has been defined by resilience rather than instant success.
Omanyo first plunged into elective politics in 2007, driven by a desire to influence policy on education, women’s rights and poverty alleviation after years of activism.
She contested several times, losing narrowly before finally clinching victory in 2022 as Busia woman representative on an ODM ticket where she replaced the then woman representative Florence Mutua.
Her motivation as she told Daily News Kenya-International during a past chat said came from lived experience, seeing bright children drop out of school, women locked out of opportunity, and communities trapped in cycles of neglect.
In Parliament, Omanyo has built a reputation as a hands on leader, championing girl child education, women economic empowerment, water access, health initiatives and campaigns against jigger infestation.
She has been visible at the grassroots, rolling out empowerment programmes, bursaries and sanitary towel distribution to keep girls in school, while pushing national conversations on social protection and equality.
These efforts have earned her multiple accolades and strengthened her political base across Busia and the wider Western region.
Her elevation to acting ODM Secretary General is widely viewed as a major milestone for women in Kenyan politics.
It places her at the heart of ODM’s decision making machinery, responsible for party administration, coordination and strategy at a critical time.
Politically, the move boosts her national profile, enhances her influence in Western Kenya, and positions her as a key power broker as ODM prepares for upcoming elections.
For women politicians, her rise sends a strong signal that top party offices are no longer the preserve of men, potentially opening doors for greater female participation and leadership within major political parties.
Married and a mother, Omanyo has often balanced family life with demanding public service, drawing inspiration from her personal journey to craft messages of resilience and hope.
Among her most memorable remarks is her consistent assertion that “education is the great equaliser”, a line that has come to define both her activism and her politics.
As ODM undergoes one of its most consequential internal restructurings in recent years, Catherine Omanyo’s ascent from grassroots activist to acting party secretary general underscores a political trajectory built on persistence, community work and calculated ambition, one that is now firmly anchored at the national stage.
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🗓️ [DNK-International@February 12,2026]
