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Kenya: The late Orwa Ojode is another departed political giant of our time in greater Southern Nyanza

Leo Odera Omolo Mourns the fallen hero.

The late Joshua Orwa Ojode, the Assistant minister for Internal Security and Provincial Administration who died in sorrowful tragedy of a helicopter crash on Sunday morning is arguably to be remembered for many years to come by we the residents of the greater Southern Nyanza region as our of the departed soul of the giants of our time.

The first such giants was the late Thomas Joseph Mboya, and the second one was the late Hezekiah Nelson Oyugi[Kalambe ng’ongo wuon Ogango].

These great names are in addition to the late Mzee Paul Mboya {Oluwal Janyakongo wuon Akoko} who died of old age close to a decade ago after dominating the administrative circles of the region for many years ever since 1946.

These are the men who had shaped the Southern Nyanza region, and the future historian will always use their pens wisely by quoting them favorably in connection with the massive development that the region has received ever since 1950s.

Paul Mboya Akoko was in his own class during the colonial era after dropping down his last chalk at Gendia Mission Primary School where he was a teacher briefly before being promoted to the coveted position of the SDA Mission Pastor.

From the pulpit, there was no looking back. Paul Mboya became the 6th Location Chief of the larger Karachuonyo Location around 1922 after five other Chiefs had already rule the location and lost their jobs for one reason or the othee..The first location Chie of Karchuonyo was a medicine man allied with Nyakiti ogutu who was later discovered to have been an immigrant from across the Kivirondo Gulf in Seme.

The colonial authority then appointed one Oganyo Odero, who resign in huff and left the chieftain to ne Okoth Wuon Ougo,and the third Chief was one called Orinda. After Orinda then came Chief Dola Maira and after Dola Maira came Paul Mboya.

Due to his administrative prowess Paul Mboya was appointed the first Secretary of the then African Local Native Council {ALNC} in 1946. The ALNC for South Nyanza’ area of jurisdiction covered what is now common called Gusii region. The Council’s office were based in Kisii Town.

Paul Mboya was among the top African Administrators who were invited by His Majesty Government of King George V1 to attend the famous “Victory Parade in Central London.

The ALNC transformed itself to African District Council of South Nyanza in 1952and Mboya continued serving in the same capacity. He had a lot of influence in the region making his word sounded like a law of the land.

Paul Mboya was once again among the skillfully selected administrator from Anglophone colonies in African continent who were invited to London during he coronation marking the enthronement of Queen Elizabeth 11 June 1963.

He earned series of high class British Medals including Member of the British Empire {MBE} and the Order of the British Empire {OBE} and {CBE} for his exemplary service to the British. In 1961 he was appointed he first Secretary to the larger County Council of South Nyanza following the split of the former African District Council based at Kisii and he then moved to the new offices at Homa-Bay Town after the separation of the Kisiis and the Luos.

Paul Mboya retired from the public service in 1962 one year beore the country attained its political independence in June 1963 and later served the community as the overall and disputed chairman of the powerful Luo Union {East Africa} “Ker” until 1978.

In the late 1950s a youthful politician who outwitted the colonialist with his oratory and high command of political English called Thomas Joseph Mboya who entered into the colonial Legislative Council on in March 1957 as one of the first eight African elected Legco members.

Mboya {not related to Paul Mboya}fame came following his activities as a tade unionist during the State of Emergency which was declared in Kenya on October 20, 1952 by the then colonial governor Sri Evelyn Baring as a result of intensified Mau Mau activities in Nairobi, Rift Valley and some part of Central Province.

Mboya began his political career as a mere shop steward in the Health Sanitation section of the City Council of Nairobi. The Staff Association transformed itself in to the Kenya Local Government Workers Union {KLGWU}

Immediately after this Tom Mboya quickly rose to fame during the state of emergency with Mboya bravely issuing hundreds of anti-colonialists and white settlers press statements in defense of the oppressed African population. In the absence of any countrywide political movement after the banning of Kenya African Union {KAU} it was only the KFl through Mboya who expressed the African aspiration and his activities earned him recognition by the liberal minded British Labour Party MPs in the House of Common. Through his connections with the British Labour Party MPs and the British Trade Union Congress {TUC} Mboya won a one year scholarship to study English, Literature history and economics at the Ruskin College, Oxfordin 1955.

And while studying in the UK Mboya continued issuing inflammatory anti settlers and colonialism articles to the British, some of which were published and re-produced in Kenya press provoking sharp condemnation of Mboya by the White Settlers leaders, some of them called for his expulsion from the UK and possible arrest and detention.

He returned home in 1956 a much shaped and armed with very sharp English, the youthful trade unionist gave the colonial authorities in Kenya sleepless nights.

The Rightwing leader of the Settlers the late Group Captain L.R.Briggs who headed the all whites United Party, which declared that Kenya should be only a dominion like Southern and Northern Rhodesia called for Mboya’s detention along with those suspected of organizing and managing the Mau Mau uprising.Rhodesia.

The then Prime Minister of the Central African Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Sir Roy Welensky,and the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia wee in agreement with the Prime Minister ofr Southern Rhodesia Garfield Todd and the Governor of Nyasaland Sir Sobert Armitage declared Mboya a banned person I any of the three countries and non-granta persona in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

Mboya’s meteoric rise came soon after his entry into Colonial Legislative Council where he engaged the colonial authorities and the majority members who white settlers in crucial motion after motion calling for the repealing for discriminative laws against African and discriminative wages against educated Africans performing the same job and other inhuman treatment mated out to Africans

Mboya became a globe totting politician and his voice echoed all over the world effectively putting African viewpoints against colonialism in major world forums.

His skills and organizational ability saw him clinching the post of Secretary-General of KANU at the party inception at Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu Town in June 1960 the post which he held p to his death on July 5,1969. He also defended his KFL position until up to the coming of political independence in 1963 when he was appointed to the cabinet in the post independence cabinet headed by the late President Jomo Kenyatta. First as the Minister for Labour in the short-lived KADU-KANU Coalition government, later as the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and lastly as the Minister for Planning and Economic Development.

It wa during hi six years in the cabinet that Mboya shaped up development in Southern Nyanza 5egion influencing the construction of Ahero-Kisii-Migori road in 1967, development o schools like Ogande Girls, Asumbi Girls, Homa-Bay High School, Mbita High School Agoro-Sare Secondary Schools, Asumbi T.T.C. Tonga Secondary School, St Joseph Rapogi High School and so many other development projects for the promotion of socio-economic of the region.

Mboya’s life was cut short by an assassin hail of bullets on 5th July, 196. His death brought the then flourishing development in the greater Southern Nyanza region to a halt and standstill.

After Mboya Hezekiah N.Oyugi, a primary school teacher turned administrator emerged as the most powerful individual in the greater Southern Nyanza.

Due to human error and miscalculation of judgement, Oyugi’s influence also came to an abrupt end in the early 1990 following h John Robert Ouko’s saga and the region slipped back in terms of fast development.

Oyugi played a big role of promoting an improving some of the development projects which ha experienced slackness after Mboya’s death a decade earlier.

In 1994 Joshua Orwa Ojde the son of a former colonial Assistant Chief Ojode Otieno from the Kamdar sub-clan of the larger Kwabwayi sub-clan in what used to be called West Nyokal Location won a parliamentary seat for Ndhiwa following the defection of Tom Okello Obondo who had won the Ndhiwa parliamentary seat on Oginga Odinga”s Ford Kenya party ticket. Obondo defected back to KANU, but Obondo failed miserably in his attempt to defend his seat on a KANU ticket..

The abrasive Orwa Ojode inherited a parliamentary constituency which was considered by many as the most backward in the entire Southern Nyanza.

The tough talking legislator died in an helicopter mishap at the time when Ndhiwa had become the envious of everyone in the region. All secondry and primary schools constructed on permanent building materials.

Access and feeder roads criss-crossing the entire constituency everywhere including those areas which had never seen a motor vehicle before. Electricity supply to all primary and secondary school and other institutions

Each one of the close to twenty four administrative location has a dispensary and fully stocked with medicine health centers.

For administration to be close to the people, Ndhiwa which had only one Division is today boosting seven administrative divisions which included, the old Ndhiwa Riana, Kobodo, Pala Nyarongi and Kobama, each of the Divisions had a fully function District Officer’s office with a DO posted in place. The Ndhiwa D.C. is located in Ndhiwa Market, which of late has became an ultra modern town with full electricity supply. The construction of a modern D.C. office n progress and anther landmark is the CDF Offices built under the late Ojode’s close supervision.

Next to the D.C’s office stands the tourist class Ndhiwa Village Resort with over 100 beds rooms, several special suits for VIP, a health care compartment and a swimming pool and ultra modern poolside bar with several extra modern facilities.

The Assistant Minister ‘s was cut short last Sunday by the cruel hands of death has the people of Ndhiwa in particular and Southern Nyanza in general the most outspoken and easily accessible MP who died while he was putting up one of the biggest hotels in Kisumu ‘s posh Milimani estate with up to 100 rooms. The hotel project is in its final touches.

Ojode will be missed by many friends and foes alike for his quick response to parliamentary questions and hard-hitting statements

Ends