Ledama Olekina is a Kenyan politician who serves as the senator for Narok County. Olekina was elected on an Orange Democratic Movement ticket in the August 8, 2017, general elections in Kenya. He was born and raised in Oloombokishi, a small village near Narok, Kenya, on 11 November 1974. As of 2020, he resides in Eor Ekule, Enkanasa Village. Olekina was educated at Narok High School and thereafter proceeded to the United States where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and English Communication from The University of Massachusetts in Boston in 2002. He is the founder of Maasai Education Discovery, an education center for girls. Olekina has been involved in efforts to conserve the Mau Forest in Kenya. [6] He is the most followed maasai politician on Facebook and Twitter, Ledama Olekina
Ledama Ole Kina is a Kenyan politician who serves as the Senator for Narok County. Olekina was elected on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket in the August 8, 2017, general elections in Kenya.
The outspoken Narok Senator, in May 2020, briefly became the Chair of the powerful Senate County Public Accounts and Investment Committee (CPAIC).
The powerful watchdog was previously led by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang, with Ledama trouncing over Kisii Senator Sam Ongeri, who was also gunning for the same seat. Ledama Olekina
He, however, later agreed to step down from the committee position after holding a private meeting with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Ledama was replaced by Kisii Senator Sam Ongeri who would be deputised by Marsabit Senator Hargura Godana.
The senator was among the legislators who were opposed to the Revenue sharing formula claiming it would foster division and disunity among Kenyans, further calling for an amended formula that does not neglect historically marginalized counties.
He is also a supporter of the legalisation of marijuana in the country. In a previous interview, the lawmaker disclosed that he was considering reviving former Kibra MP the late Ken Okoth’s 2018 bill that sought to legalise bhang.
He explained that he was considering the move for “health reasons and also for hemp commercial reasons.”
In November 2020, he caused a stir when he dressed in traditional regalia to the Senate.
Following a short debate, Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka ruled that senators could wear traditional attire to the chambers.
Controversy
In 2018, Olekina was cautioned by Kenya’s National Cohesion and Integration Commission) against making issuing utterances bordering on incitement against the Kipsigis community. He has also been accused by other Kenyan politicians of fuelling hate against one community after the Senator claimed that most state jobs were being awarded to one community in Kenya. This accusations made him one of the most followed maasai politician on both Facebook and Twitter.
