Raila Odinga’s business interests have long stretched beyond politics, with deep roots in Kenya’s manufacturing and energy sectors. His manufacturing venture began under the name Standard Processing Equipment Construction and Erection, which later rebranded to East Africa Spectre Limited. The company expanded through a loan from Kenya Industrial Estates, reflecting early state-backed support for local industrialization.
Ownership of East Africa Spectre is spread across members of the Odinga family and close associates. The shareholding includes the estate of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga with 262,500 shares, Raila Odinga with 90,000, Oburu Oginga with 60,000, and Ida Odinga with 50,000. Other shareholders include Israel Otieno Agina, the Argwings Kodhek family, and the Ngesa Okolo family, among others. Raila, Ida, and Oburu also held offices at the company’s Nairobi plant, underscoring the family’s hands-on involvement in business operations.
Close to East Africa Spectre stands Spectre International, another Odinga-linked enterprise incorporated in 1989. The company bid KSh570 million for Kenya Chemical and Food Corporation assets and later acquired a 240-acre molasses plant for KSh3.6 million through a KCB receivership sale in 2000–2001. However, operations at the plant ceased in 2017, leaving behind outstanding debts and a KSh44 million staff settlement.
In the energy sector, the Odinga family has also made a significant mark through Be Energy. The firm’s market share rose from 2.4% in 2020 to 3.52% in the 2024/25 financial year after selling over 205,000 cubic metres of fuel. The company ranked fifth nationally, behind major players like Vivo (Shell), Rubis, TotalEnergies, and Ola, while also exporting fuels and lubricants to regional markets including Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi, and the DRC.
Be Energy’s ownership is split between the Al Bakri family, which holds 5,201 shares through International Energy World S.A., and the Odinga family, which owns 2,801 shares via Pan African Petroleum Company Ltd. The petroleum company is largely managed by the younger generation, including Raila Odinga Jr, Rosemary Adhiambo Odinga, Winnie Irmgard Odinga, and other family members.
Through these enterprises—ranging from manufacturing to energy—the Odinga family has maintained a lasting economic legacy. Their ventures not only reveal an entrepreneurial side often overshadowed by political life but also illustrate the family’s long-standing influence in Kenya’s industrial and commercial growth.
