BY REPORTER.
As if to add more fire to an already bad situation, a group of over twenty elders from across Luo Nyanza yesterday converged at a Kisumu hotel where they declared their full support for the embattled chairman of the Luo council of elders Ker Riaga Ogalo
.In what many observers are likely to view as an open defiance against the prime minister Raila Odinga’s move to change guard at the council by installing Willis Opiyo Otondi as new Ker, the 28 elders declared their manm of choice still remains Riaga and asked politicians from the region to keep off the affairs of the organization.
In a press release signed by all the elders who converged at the Museum View hotel in Kismu dismissed the decision as not only ”outrageous,misplaced,political but also absurd,dictatorial and misleading”,
And the tough talking elders categorically told Raila Odinga who is also the ODM supremo to keep off the affairs of the council adding that in the history of the community no politician has ever single handily elected a Luo Ker, to the least installing one like he purportedly did with Otondib recently in Migori.
While reading the statement on behalf of the other elders, Mzee Adera Osawa who is also the Secretary General of the council said Riaga was cordially elected by delegates drawn all over the Luo Nyanza region and his position still stands firm and unshaken according to them.
They pointed out that nowhere in the council constitution from days past has a politician been allowed to nominate and solely install a top most community elder since the council was non political.
Parts of the press statement read”The written and ancestral stipulated constitution is noble,humane, supreme and cherishes justice and democracy. It stipulates clearly that Ker once nominated serves without being put through to any elections ,unless he dies,abdicates duty or is simply impeached by the three council organs of the National Executive committee,and annual general meeting and if proved guilty by the organs then the Ker is requested to own up and stand down”.
The elders said in the absence of the above procedure, then any purported election is irrelevant, null and void.
Describing the recent move as a coup hatched and executed by unconstitutional authority,the elders said they were making a strong protest to the prime minister to stop dictating and dividing the community.
Osawa also the council was devoid of patronage and dismissed as baseless claims that it has a patron.
Otondi was crowned last weekend in Migori town the new Ker in a ceremony attended by a section of MPs from the region and Raila himself.
In my opinion (may be misplaced) this Luo Council of Elders is a big joke that only features in the news when there is a power struggle. I am yet to know what their TOR and past achievements are and highly doubt if it serves the interest of the Luo community. Where is this constitution for electing the Ker? Who passed it? How do these elders find their seats in the Council? When and where do they hold meetings? Where are the minutes?
I am afraid this whole charade will once again keep us bored for a long time when we should be focusing on how to achieve the MDGs through our Counties. As a community, we have more economic and social problems which the Council of Elders have and will never address.
Omar Jabunde
correct me if am wrong but the last time a meeting was held at ofafa hall which both factions attended it was unanimously resolved that Otondi be the new ker…riaga and group were told their wrong doings there and the PM who was there was himself suprised by the turn of events that evening,adero and group should do the honorable thing and let the new office run the show as had been resolved, you cant lead a group that doesnt recogonise you as their leader
so, what the f***k is this Luo Council of Elders up to? just enjoying the rent proceeds from the defunct Luo Union properties (like Ofafa Hall in Ksm) and doing NOTHING tangible to give the Luo elders any direction? Isn’t it Raila who single handedly selected (or is it elected) Riaga? Now that he wants someone else, somebody’s complaining!
Please tell me, is there anyone in this forum who would seek their counsel?
Correct me in this, but I always thought that the roles of a Luo Ker extended beyond that of a mere Chairman of a civic or social body. I always thought that a Luo Ker’s responsibilities had a sociopolitical as well as a spiritual metaphysical dimension to them. A Ker is necessarily a “special sage;” he is the top dog among sages of his time. If this be the case, then why don’t we leave his nomination or election to some standing college of sages from all walks of life, whose preoccupation is guiding the society through changing times in Luoland, Kenya and the myriad of our diasporic settlements in the increasingly interconnected world. Otherwise, we are forcing the current Prime Minister of Kenya to be in the uncomfortable position of being everything to everybody in Luoland. Can’t we leave him out of intratribal sociopolitical fights?
even the Ker thing is nolonger relevant in the day to day lives of the Luo community, I think Riaga is taking his tired jokes too far. He should stop complaining that Raila installed a new Ker, Is it not the same Raila who selected this Riaga fellow?
Then he went out misusing the seat and power by hobnobbing with disgraced people like Pattni. He accepted a gift of vehicle from Patni despite fellow elders refusing. He accepted tractors and money from Gaddafi under the patronage of Pattni. Dirty Riaga.
At one time after attending elders meeting in Nairobi, at which they also met Raila and Luo MPs, the MPs contributed money to send the Ker home and to continue supporting his office and mission, and then said by to him at a city hotel. Do you know what Riaga did later. He went and met Ruto the same day who booked him into another city hotel for 4 good days. what do you think they discussed?