I know this is not the best time to raise a controversial discussion! But as a concerned citizens of the lovely Nation of Kenya we need to ask serious questions???? Before doing that it shld be known to all that read this article that Kibaki cannot be compared to Raila in the national and international arena on issues of democracy and political liberation of a
people. So it leaves me in a state waiting for the day we will ever compare the two when serious minds are engaged. Nevertheless, all said and less done, we have to appreciate that there are leaders that we impose on ourselves and they lead as eventually to places we dont have any idea of there whereabouts.
I tend to think that a leader should be capable of sharing with the people he or she intends to lead!! Share in what??? He /she should share the same geographical and specific aspects of life and societies dynamics. It is true that for instance that ‘Education is power.’ Please, we don’t need an angel to tell us how our community the Luos have deteroriated as to education.
My simple reasoning is that poverty has stricken us from all the corners. And education is expensive!!! But what do the Luo leaders do to address this economical issues??? If I say nothing it will be a lie but they are totally doing little to help solve the situation.
The few of us that proceed to higher learning instituons don’t bring back the fruits of Education to the society. Please note that there are people who are exceptionally dedicated to help but they are like two drops of water in the Lake.
I can write till the next day, or otherwise!! Don’t forget that by all means we should look at issues from a sober perspective and fight poverty away from our homes then we will have the knowledge and power it takes to change the world. That I beleive could help us.
We need each other in one peace and that’s the way it is.
Regards,
George O.O
June2046@gmail.com
Many of us in our caliber and standards know that we didn’t make it there alone. We leaned from others and most of us had help from varoius sources. Now that have achieve greater heights,higher education and better job opportunitues, it is time we resort and give back to the community. Education standards have receded in Luo society partly due to poverty, so we need to inject support in all manner, financial donation/ schorlarship,book donation, educational awareness /interviews and volunteer work in our community. We should also address the problems we face and come up with better solutions.
We should also have a network of scholars in diaspora to help each other in their variuos fields of study in terms of homework, assignments through the internet and also a strong regional academicians grouping up based in geogoraphical location in helping each other in achieving higher education. I recomend a website where scholars meet which should be linked to jaluo.com
Thank you so much for your observations. A year back i said the same thing but looks like people were not interested. I cannot say that poverty is the main cause but a contributing factor. Ukambani is equally poor but hey do better than us. Luhyas are not significantly richer than us but they are miles ahead.
I look at it this way. over 30 years ago, the Luos concentrated so much in education as it was a pride. They had not been infiltrated so much by the capitalistic attitude and practices where quick money and riches was the defining factor. They believed in themselves and that is why there has been a desert of scholars amongst the Luos in the recent past. The other factor is the high number of school drop-outs resulting from lack of drive and ambition. I have taken time to have small discussions with pupils from the upper primary and secondary schools that are Luos. You know what, the girls begin to go for discos at a very tender age and are taken advantage of by preying males who give them small gifts like 50 bob, vaeline etc. They do get pregnant in the process and then flee from their homes and the wrath of the parents. In the event they end up as drop-outs. The males are equally worse. They sample commercial ventures like boda boda, fishing, cane-cutting, farm weeding (sugar-cane) etc and then as ‘makangas’ in the nearest bus-terminus. From then on they begin to go for things like village discos, drugs, running after girls, hanging about in the nearest towns and even hawking. They say education has no future and they tell you of rich people who never went to school in their villages. What can we expect of this?
We lack Luo role models who can go and fire up the students and pupils in schools. That is one reason too. Yes, we can have a network of scholars but we need clear agenda on what we really want to do and it needs to be measurable. The schools need to have better facilities too. I am ready to join this network or even to assist in organising it. Thadius, I really apprecaite your observations. Let us walk the talk.
Thanks
Herbert