Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo /HANDOUT

Suba North Member of Parliament Millie Odhiambo has marked her 60th birthday, using the milestone to challenge stigma surrounding ageing, particularly for women in leadership.

Odhiambo turned 60 on Sunday, November 1. Her birthday comes days after she spoke in the National Assembly about age-based criticism directed at women, arguing that growing older should not be a source of shame.

“I’m also soon turning 60 in a few days,” she told the House on October 21, while wishing Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris a belated happy birthday.

The legislator said women face harsher scrutiny over their age than men, even when they remain confident and comfortable with themselves.

“Even when you are feeling very nice, fine and sexy, somebody tells you, ‘You old woman’,” she said, adding that “there’s nothing wrong with being old.”

Odhiambo challenged what she described as a double standard, where older women are mocked while men of a similar age rarely attract the same comments.

“You see men who are much, much older and nobody tells them that they are old,” she told the House.

She insisted that women should not be pressured to apologise for ageing, saying: “We are pretty, old and fine.”

The remarks came during debate on the Harm Reduction Bill, sponsored by Passaris, which seeks to treat substance-use disorders as public health concerns rather than primarily criminal matters.

A lawyer by training, Odhiambo has represented Suba North in Parliament since 2013, after previously serving as a nominated member of the National Assembly.

Her parliamentary career has included advocacy on issues affecting women and children, as well as participation in debates on legislation and public policy.

Her 60th birthday brings renewed attention to the message she delivered in Parliament: age should not diminish a woman’s confidence, dignity or place in public life.