Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Homa-Bay Town
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The election battle for the powerful position of Nairobi County governor could split members of the Luo community and have a negative impact on the ODM strength and influence inside Luo-Nyanza
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It could rekindle the old memories of old years of political rivalries between the Luos of Southern Nyanza and their cousins from what used to be Central Nyanza, but now the Counties of Kisumu and Siaya.
This political scenario is likely to come about following the deadly rumors making the round within the greater Southern Nyanza that a section of ODM leaders are not comfortable with the candidature of the Mumias Sugar Company’s Managing Director Dr Evans Kidero.who is an election hopeful for the position of the Nairobi City governor.
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Dr Kidero who hails from Rangwe constituency within Homa-Bay County is vying for the lucrative elective position of the Nairobi County governor as a staunch member of the Orange Democratic movement [ODM}.He has made it clear that he would be contesting the election on an ODM ticket.
However, the rumors making the round says a section of ODM leadership is considering the possibility and options of fronting and another aspirant for the same position. And the name of a prominent banker is being mentioned as the first choice of the anti-Kidero group.
The banker is a Kikuyu by tribe and his alleged backers are mainly Luo MPs from Kisumu and Siaya Counties. The theories being advanced to the voters within Nairobi City is that by sponsoring the candidature of a prominent Kikuyu aspirant for the governorship position would attract more votes from the populous Kikuyu community for the Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s bid for State House
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But those well versed with the Kikuyu pattern of voting have dismissed this theory as a simple pipedream, arguing that Raila Odinga who is a national leader with a very attractive track record of being a genuine reformist and true nationalist is capable of garnering the votes from Kenyans from all communities living in Nairobi on his own credibility and track record and personal influence without anyone being made a sacrificing lamp on his behalf.
The local pundits are also in serious dispute with another theory being advanced by anti-Kidero group that it would not augur well having two Luos occupying two key most powerful seats of power within Nairobi with one in State House and another at the County governor.
Observers were quick in arguing that the founding father of the nation the late President Jomo Kenyatta was once occupied the State House while his daughter Ms Margaret Kenyatta was occupying he City Hall as the Mayor of Nairobi and it worked well. And therefore there is nothing sinister for Raila Odinga to be in the State House while Dr. Kidero would be managing the County. It makes no difference nor is it a big deal.
The alleged anti-Kidero campaign by a section of ODM leaders is likely to touch on the already healed old wound of the 1957 and 1960. In the first instance, the late Tom Mboya who was a man from South Nyanza stood against the first African barrister at law and a London trained lawyer the late C.M.G.Argwings Kodhek in the election battle for the Nairobi Area seat{as the east lands African locates were called those days}in the colonial Legislative Council. All the people from Central Nyanza including the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga put their weight behind Argwings-Kodhek and ganged up against Mboya. However the latter won the election, but mainly with the help and backing of the African workers from all the Kenyan tribes with the assistance of Luos from Southern Nyanza.
Again in the mini-elections of 1961 Mboya was once again pitted in one of the toughest election battles against Dr. Munyua Waiyaki and for the second time the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga travelled all the way from Nyanza to Nairobi and threw his weight behind Dr.Waiyaki against Mboya and even went as far as addressing a series of chaotic and violence marred campaign rallies in favour of his chosen candidate and for the second time Mboya won the election with an overwhelming majority of votes, but this particular election left a big scar and rift between the Luos of Central and their cousins from of Southern Nyanza.
But with the emergence of the younger generation of Luo politicians led by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga all the sectional rivalries that existed during the era of Odinga / Mboya are long gone and the community is now solidly united behind Raila Odinga under the umbrella of the ODM as the party of choice, while Raila remained undisputed leader and the symbol of unity in Luo-Nyanza.
It is therefore wrong for a group of MPs from certain parts of Luo-Nyanza to come out in the open in opposing the candidature of Dr. Kidero in the contest for Nairobi governor, which is open for all and sundry by advancing outmoded theories and strategies, which could turn out to be harmful to the community gains including unity of purpose already achieved under the able Raila Odinga.
Dr. Kidero candidature for the City’s governor therefore carries no harm to Raila’s presidential ambition nor harmful to the ODM’s chances of winning the impending general elections and forming the next government. Those Luo leaders advancing such backward theories for the purpose of scuttling Dr Kidero’s ambition of becoming the first governor of the Nairobi must be told in a clear an uncertain terms that they got it wrong and s such the must deist from bad habit and theories of taking the community back to the stone age.
Dr. Kidero is an urbanized man. He was born and bred in the City and has invested heavily in the place therefore making him the most eligible person for the contest of the County governor. His loyalty to the party is beyond questionable and he is not to have been generous contributor to the ODM kitty. This gives him an overriding right to contest the election in any elective positions either in Nairobi and elsewhere in this country without hindrance from any quarters.
Already the alleged plot to derail Dr.Kidero’s candidature is showing the have sign of splitting the ODM followers in Sothern Nyanza down the middle, and the situation could only be saved by a tentative comprehensive press statement from the party headquarters exonerating its leadership fro rumors and speculations that they were all out to scuttle Dr.Kidero’s bid for the City governor position.
However, in the absence of a comprehensive statement clarifying the party’s position, the ODM stand to loose considerable support in the of votes rich Southern Nyanza region.
The Mumias Sugar Company boss is the household darling of the people in this region where he has been contributing immensely and generously towards nearly all the important socio-economic projects and therefore enjoyed mass support in the region which is rural home backyard.
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If Kidero has been thinking of being Governor of Nairobi,he should been dealing
with luos in all parts of the region. Nobody knows Kidero’s ability apart from
reading from the the media about his profession as MD of Mumias.
There was a time when Kidero was made a leader of Nyanza Economic Forum
which is just by the name .Nothing positive has come out of this organization
since it was started. The suggestion of forming a bank is just in the archive.
We thought that most of the CEOs in the business world will come together a start a bank. These luo businessmen and professionals are too selfish help
their to come out of poverty. They are always ready to give ‘goya’ to luo youths
when they attend funerals in the rural areas.
First ,luo elites should not behave outside their offices as bosses in order to allow
ordinary people to mix with them sincerely. This is where kikuyu elites beat our
people. Our elites are not humble right from their own home to public places. Raila is the only exception because he sees himself just as any other kenyans.
Please,Leo,tell these our leaders to get to gether a form a bank to help our people to come out poverty.These people have enough capital to start a bank inorder to help our people come up. If these guys can not work for a company(bank)
then they should leave wanaichi to elect ordinary people to represent us.
Joluo uwinjo joka nyanam. I think we are going the wrong direction as a poeple. Raila is a dictator in Luo Land (call it Luo Nyanza). What has Raila done since he became Prime Minister? Wan kod Party Achiel eluo land ka. Look at the Western kenya, Kisii, and even Rift Valley where Ruto comes from. Joluo dok chien ekenya masani. It is time to turn the page. Let us have more than one party eluo land. Let us allow women to be contenders instead of calling women them names. Odinga is a dictator to the luos, but kanyocha omiye kura kod jo Rift Valley about 70 per cent , nyocha en kod mandate, what did he do. He screwed up. He should have allowed election of kibaki to contnue just for a period of weeks and then ji odok election nikech ODM had the majority of MPs in parliament. Then jo dine odhi back to elections then Raila kawo telo. Same thing his father Jaramogi ne otimo. He caved in for Mzee Kinyatta, Jaramogi wanted wazungu mondo orit wuok Kenyatta ejela mondo eka Kenya uyud loch. Kenyatta came out of Jail and found a sitting duck, then he took presidency mar Kenya kendo ne oketo Odinga e jela. Jokikuyu has had it with Joka Odinga, they always know that Raila as weak link.. Odinga ema ne omiyo Mboya otho e lisasi. Sad, sad. Kenya is being controlled by Kikuyus who are selling the whole population of Kenya to corporate world. Raila oweyo Wahinde pielo kuom ji Kisumu. They do things they cannot do in Mombai. Even africans who works for wahindi are being exploited under his watch. Being in Power even Mumias cannot run properly, so is awendo and Chemelil. As far as can see, Raila will not bring any change for us as a people. Why is he forcing friends into our throat when it comes to electing mayor of kisumu City. This a city where sewer is smelling, no repairs since 1981, where city planning has failed. What is this mayor doing in Kisumu ka. Who is Raila working with or for? ODM as party will not last unless we turn the page about Luo politics. Joluo are afraid that Odinga will squeeze their balls. I Quote ” ruayo mandi” Youth mek Raila are beating other contestants all the place. The youth need jobs and violence and exploitation by wahindi is not the solution. Tell me which Luo or Kikuyu or kalajin can run as a mayor or become a Mombai Elder in india? kenya is being bought by outside world and at otonglo achiel. On top they give odinga’s family a fight to Southern African at the Sun City for a month. Lake Sango is covered by grass-this is the lake where so many luo have earned a living for generations. There are no road to no where. World Bank is pouring money to Kenya and Kikuyus are directing all the funds to personal pokects, this has be happening since independence. Who is paying the loan, teachers, student and now the people who are being cheated to take micro lending. We are at a point that family land will be taken over by the Kikuyus and world bank. The interest rates are not explained. The small man or woman is overwhelmed. Now the Luo are focusing on ODM as a party cannot even see beyond Kilimanjaro. How ill Odinga and his group challenge Kagame and his machinaery from the West. Kageme biro nego Joluo and not Kikuyus. He is the one creating problem in the Republic of Congo. We cannot just trust people who come to Luo Nyanza to be good people. We are a melting pot. We have forgatten that we immigrated from southern Sudan. The group who never let man marry another man. The onewho is dressed well, that one who had a homestead and once a cattle rearing group and fishermen. That we planted Bel, jungu, rabuon, atipa, dek, mito and we married pretty women. Are we drinking to much or talking to much. There are no Jaluo e government mar kenya , that we cannot do business. I onced wear a uniform made by a man called Odera fundi tosha. Wayie ni mondo wadagi kama onge running water, that we cannot even have electricity in our neigborhoods. We are getting into technology mar simo that we cannot afford. At the same time cannot even chrge them in our own homes. The water we are drinking is contaminated. We cannot educate our children, we cannot feed our children. That we can let teachers who are teaching our children rape them and for our girls human expection and welbeing is forgotten. That a luo can just take a neigbors cow in the night transport to Nairobi to a KiKuyus butcher for ten shings to load a phone anyone cannot afford. That we think Chinese have our interest at heart. That we have leaders who are not encouraging people tp dig land for food. That Joluo are shopping and Nacko Mart run buy Kikuyus and Wahindi. That we take matatu rides to all directions run by Kisiis and Kikuyus. That we are taking loan in banks that we don’t even know who are the board of directors. Raila closed school Maranda – still the student drinks water from a pond where it is invested with Typhoid. Raila cannot even supple chlorine to the school. That Homa Bay high school, Asumbi, Lwak girls are still using the same lab equipement not as Limuru or Lena boys or Kiambu. Joka Odinga has put the luos at corner and it is our youth to say no to him. Not to tell who to elect in various locations in luo land.
My fellow tribesmen, the Luos, are very good at taking e piece of candy (tam tam) from anybody in order to bethe mouthpiece of that individual, even if that means turning against its own people!
This has been the case since 1963, with characters like Odongo Omamo, Oyugi, Okiki Amayo and others who have played similar roles and leaving the Luo Community with no development.
No group on planet earth can achieve any progress without (a) knowing who its foes are (b) consolidating the varrying opinion within the community members and building a consensus (c) speaking with one voice (d) building a strong grassroot support within the community
Luos are not doing well because the elites like to splill their guts in public are, leaving their enemies with no secret. They like to gossip and spread malicious rumours about the members of their community.
To destroy a man, all the foe needs is a to find one member of his family ready to reveal the family secrets in exchange for a piece of “tam tam”. The Luos have this vice of turning on its members on a whistle!
What Jaramogi did to get Jomo Kenyatta released from prison was appropriate and nationalistic at a time most people had no courage to face the might of the British Empire. All Kikuyu politicians at the time out of sheer cowardice did not want Jomo Kenyatta released. Mate , Dr Kiano and Nyaga hated Jaramogi Oginga Odinga for calling Jomo Kenyatta’s release from prison. Later Jaramogi realised what Jomo Kenyatta really was then declared in parliament ”Now on careful reflection Sir Everline Baring was right when he said Kenyatta is a leader to death and darkness”. History has vindicated Jaramogi.
After independence Tom Mboya was used byJomo Kenyatta to fight Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and the Luos and then the latter got him out of the way. Mboya out of opportunity or crude naivety could not see the evil in Kenyatta so he paid with his life.
At one time a delagation of Kenyan ministers led by James Gichuru went to London but when they reached Heathrough Airport James Gichuru was drank and had wetted his suit. To save Kenya from this shame Tom Mboya had him covered by other ministers and he addressed the press instead. This did not impress Sir Charles Njonjo who immediately called Jomo that Tom had overthrown Gichuru hence the shooting at Chaneys Pharmacy in Nairobi later. We must remember that Njonjo was Mboya’s best man at his wedding, notwithstanding!!
If we sincerely save anybody from drowning and later such a person turns out to be a devil we should not be blamed for saving him.
Just as Tuju has abused the Luos as stone throwers in the ”safety” of Mwai Kibaki so did Tom Mboya. Jomo saw this weakness!
DR ODIDA OKUTHE.
Mr. Kidero is within his democatic limits to offer himself for election in any position anywhere within the country.However, inability to succeed in the same will have no effect whatsoever to ODM’s popularity in either side of Luo Nyanza and I thought Mr. Leo Odera must desist from causing unnecessary political fuss here. And turning to Nyargi Jongore as you refer to yourself, as much as you are entitled to your opinion on any political leader in Kenya, kindly get your facts right and stop sounding vague as you have done. look for somebody of your calibre to argue with and give Raila Odinga peace. You like him or not, he will be the Kenya’s 4th president. No apologies.
Nobody should blame Raila on underdevelopment in luoland in general. This was a political scheme which was organised by Kenyatta and his kitchen government immediately after independence. Our leaders like Odinga and Mboya were not aware of the secrets of that group. The first secret was to divide the luo leaders
and later finished them one by one. While Mboya was busy finishing Odinga politically, they were busy organising our to finish Mboya through assasination.
Our two leaders had not learnt that their former alliance in Kanu were busy
creating an external enemy in order to consolidate their unity. This kitchen Kenyatta
government unified all kikuyus respective of their politicaln parties. The former home guards and former mau mau followers were bonded to work against the western kenya people whom they see a threat to their government not kenya government. The extended that treatments to all tribes in kenya. This is the truth.
Kibaki repeated the same path kenyatta followed by unifying all kikuyu respective
of party affiliations. That was why Uhuru who was the leader of opposition party
had to join Kibaki’s party when all kenyans expected him to stand against Kibaki.
That was a great betrayed to kenya nationby Uhuru in terms national democratic
developments . Uhuru action that time was to preserve political leadership of kenya
to his tribe. He failed miserably to prove himself as a nationalist,and instead he choice to be a tribal leader. Uhuru’s aim is to take leadership and follow the same
path his father and Kibaki followed.
We are happy that ,this time round kenyans will not be taken for a ride as before.
It is also a blessing that new constitution is there to protect us all. There should be
little amendments to this constitution at all in order to feel safe. In the implementation of this constitution should not be left to the political turncoats like Uhuru ,Kalonzo, Ruto,and the rest of the team. If kenya makes a mistake of electing these leaders then this good constitution will be messed up like 1963 constitution which was good but the political turncoarts messed it.
Therefore, the claim by some misguarded luos by puting blame on our sio-economic
underdevelopment to Raila and his father is just a way of selling themselves for
something little from the other side. Kenyans should respect Raila and some of second term political liberators. Most of these people who can talk freely against
the government never exprienced the authoritive governments of Kenyatta and Moi.
During that time, before one talks you had to be sure that any strange people was not arround. This fear is no longer there.
Let us welcome the new constitution and work as kenyans not luo or kikuyu. Kenyatta and Moi denied kenyans that political opportunity which now new constitution
has brought. We should be proud of being kenyans and ready to die for the country.
Now kenya forces are fighting inSomalia as kenyans not luos or kikiyus. We should be united just like Tanzanians.
The dictatorship being inflicted on the Luo Community by Luo elites is leaving this community LANDLESS!
The Luos are heading for the SLUM dwellings similar to that in KIBERA because the LUO elites are handing over Luoland to outside interests under the pretext they are bringing development to Nyanza! The land contracts given to these outside to acquire the land are long term, some last as long as 99 years. If someone takes the ownership of your family’s land for 99 years, you might as well forget the land!
Due to disunity and dictarship by the elites, the Luos(nilotics) are being dealt a fatal blow wherever they may be on planet earth and their lands are being confisticated by governments! What constitutes the powerful government in Kenya?
The world wars are fought over land and the resources on that land (like access to water, farming and minerals). It is very difficult to understand why the Luo elites would embark on handing over Luo Land to foreign interests for 99 years. There is no other tribe in Kenya that would hand over a family land property in order to condemn the rest of the family to overcrowded slum life style. This abominable character is only unique to the LUOS. Powerful Luo elites are capable dishing out his or his neighbour land after consuming some beer (chang’aa)!!
The immediate concerns of all luos where they are three issues which must be address by every luos. These are creation of banks and other financial institutions
to bring money in the hands of luos for businesses and other commercial entreprises. The luos should get involve in the education in the luoland by building
previte schools and taking keen interest in the performance of our public schools; our elites develop interest organise for scholarships to children from humble backround. Another area which needs our combine effort is food security in luoland.
Our people are hungery because continues poor harvest as result of climate change
and less knowledge of technological farming. This area needs great concern because underfed child never be intellegent because brain also need food for it to function efficiently.
Istead of blaming Raila all the time ,we should start implementing those projects
in our areas to make luos catch up. We should encourage the youth to be skilled
and be ready to venture out of their comfort zones. The old luos ventured alot and
created wealth and brought knowledge from many countries around us. Why can’t
the present luo youth do that? The elites should guard the youth in every areas of luoland to get skills .
These projects should be tangle by every elites and leaderships in all the areas of luoland. Our local leaders should get involve to mobilise elites to achieve these projects. This is what kikuyu leadership did during mzee Karume and other leaders.
For the case of Kidero,the luos want him to share his business a cumen with other
luos inorder to implement those three projects. He was the chairman of Luo Economic Forum which is not funtioning at all. May be it is only serving the elites.But voters you will need mostly from ordinary luos because elites rarely vote
among the luos.
If the Luos must survive as a community they must be aware of
(a) who their friends are among the many tribes in Kenya and fight like hell to keep them friends
(b) the that fact that Luo elites are constantly used to slice and dice rest of the community through token appointments which neither fulfill the appointees dreams nor the dreams of the community they serve (The Luos). During 1982 coup against Moi’s government, a Luo in the Kenya Air force used to camouflage the real non-Luo plotter of that coup. These non-Luo faces are still at large despite the fact that many innocent Kenyans lost their lives! Recently, the Prime minister was used to handle a very sensitive issue; removing squatters from the Mau Forest. I am sure he thought he was being a statesman! The move was successfully in achieving its intended goal of breaking ODM as a powerful political party. During 2007 elections, ODM managed to unite many tribes giving it a formidable mandate to govern. After the Mau Forest fiasco, ODM became a mere tribal LUO joint of quarkers
(c) that he people who dish out token appointments to elected Luo elites do not care whether the Luos disappear from the face of the earth. In other words, they do not care about the Luos as a community
The willingness by Luo elites ‘ to turn against one another on a whim is a colossal vulnerability. This vulnerability has been effectively used by the Luos enemies (foreign and domestic) to politically undermine and marginalize them since 1963 . The Luo elites are always eager to take higher roads of compromising for the sake of Kenya’s unity even if that compromise means throwing whole community or supporters under a running buy. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to understand that eagerness to throw your power base under the bus is a political suicide! Other political opponents are always savvy about delivering to their own people
The Luo elites must, by now, come to the realization that without authentic unity, they will continue to be participants in marginalization and eventual “EXTICTION” of the Luos. UNITY IS NOT EVERYTHING; UNITY is the ONLY ROAD ETHNIC SURVIAL! If we do not understand this fact, then we are the biggest fools that ever walked the face of the earth!
Mr. Akech what you have said is all truth and truth alone. It is high time our elites
lead the way to remove the community from confusion and poverty. Our education
which got from the British which developed our pioneer elites only made them bosses . This bossy attitude planted by the colonial government which made our elites to behave like bosses even in their own homes and villages. The behavior is one of the sources of luoland underdevelopment.
The developed world for many years before the second world war witnessed the very severe discrimation which resulted to genocide whERE many jews were murdered innocently. Despite all these challenges the Jews faced ,they worked
hard and joined organizations to take care of education ,busineses,and food security.At the moment,there no world power which can afford to disciminate them.
Therefore ,the luo as community is longer for organisations run by people of high integrity to remove our people from poverty. Our elites can forget individual ego
to allow them work together inorder to establish even one bank. This bank will help
the community in the same way Equity and Family have been helping Mt.Kenya communities with big loans .
In fact,we are not against Kidero’s candidacy . But Kidero and calibers should first
do something to help the community.
severe discrimination against the Jews
joluo we uru blame raila e wich diny maru seche ma okuche loso pesa unindo gi mon e bar its u to make the change u want to be bwana wake up!!!!