Kenyans,
We have heard a lot in this forum, some have been accused to be anti Raila or pro Raila, pro Odinga`s family or against etc. Some have been accused of practicing tribalism, or Raila`s defenders, some also have gained a lot through Raila. Some were promised things by Raila but never fufilled hence they keep on posting malicious accusations in this forum. Some are also defending Raila hoping to gain from him in future. But ladies and gentlemen we have to draw the line somewhere. After some pondering and reading a lot from this forum, I would say that there is nothing wrong with political attitude in luoland or Nyanza. The voting of the new constitution supports my thinking. Here is a society which have tried all the last 45 years and plus to change the political trend in Kenya; the politics of tribalism, corruption, politics of rewarding friends and members of the leaders tribe, unfair development; where other provinces have more than others even in schooling, roads, pure water and upto the most important thing life and death. Guys the health system in our country is not evenly distributed up to today. In Kenya today there are provinces with higher death rates than others and if somebody speaks about that he is accused of practicing tribalism or a Raila supporter.
During the confused 45 years and plus the luos hoped that the situation would come to a swift and happy resolution through a new constitution. But if you look back why the luos have kept with Odinga`s family please read also the story of Robin hood of Nottingham or Zoro. In spite of the obvious difficulties the luos experienced, inspite of luos losing most of their highly educated politicians through the guns of Kenyatta or Moi they never lost hope. Kenyatta and Moi indirectly made Odinga`s family a Robin hood or a Zoro of luoland. Their politics towards the luos made the community to integrate into a follower into whom they saw hope, or a leader who gave them hope. Brave and somebody who could stand for the tribe and speak of the ills befalling the province. The non luos or some luos who do accuse luoland that politics in luoland is made by one family have little brains of thinking. what I know is that the people most likely to get on in this world are not always the most intelligent. It is often those who stand up and when the need arises, push to the front of the queue for the things they want. The Odingas saw the the political situation in Kenya and capitalised on it; BUT what makes the situation worse is that both two presidents Moi and Kenyatta never had good intelligent advisers to reverse the dependency of luos on Odingas family. They played all what only favoured the prosperity to the family.
With the death of Jesus Christ, Christians increased world wide very quickly: Why? , the Romans who crucified Jesus did not expect that, but they made Jesus also famous. Even when Christians new very well that you can not go to heaven without dying first,( even Jesus died first) this did not bother people and more followers of Jesus emerged (Christians). The present Christians will tell tell you that they are not afraid of death, but they just do not want to die yet. On the other hand, they just do not want to die today: life is very good and nobody wants to die before enjoying, Luos are no exception on this. Remember they are just as human beings as other tribes.
What I know is that in the end what matters is not whether people like the conclusion, but whether it is true and if so, what can be done to solve the problem?. Unfortunately there are no easy problems to solve, so the Luos might behave very differently if the political situation in Kenya does not hurt them; Remember heros are sometimes even forgotten in future.
Thanks folks:
Paul Nyandoto
THE JARAMOGI ODINGA FAMILY AND THE NEW CONSTITUTION
Very early in the history of Kenya Jaramogi Oginga Odinga warned Jomo Kenyatta against dividing Kenyans along tribal lines but Jomo Kenyatta dismissed him and started spreading the hatred against the Luos in his infamous anti-nyamu rallies. According to him the Luos were not only wild animals (nyamu) but also uncircumcised boys from the Lake (ihii).
He advised Jomo Kenyatta against paying the British for the Kenyan land which they acquired without paying a cent. But Jomo Kenyatta dismissed him for being a communist who loves free things. Soon thereafter Jomo Kenyatta settled his tribesmen free of charge on Kalenjin land in the Rift Valley, the result of which are the land clashes and not to mention the December 2007 post elections violence. As if this was not enough he also settled his tribesmen free of charge along the Coast up to and including Lamu and beyond.
Injustice that Oginga Odinga stood up against are the ones the new constitution is going to correct. In other words we could not even have had post elections violence had Jomo Kenyatta listened to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s advice against land grabbing.
When President Moli made Jaramogi the chairman of Cotton and Lint Board of Kenya Jaramogi honestly and publicly stsated the obvious that Jomo Kenyatta was a land grabber. For stating the truth President Moi threw him away from the job. He was also detained.
When Kenyatta’s police shot and killed nearly seventy youth in Kisumu who asked about the assassinated Tom Mboya I remember Jaramogi Oginga Odinga telling off Jomo Kenyatta over the killing of innocent youth. Kenyatta’s reaction was to ban KPU, the popular political party Jaramogi had cobbled out to challenge Kenyatta’s atrocities and tribalism. Jaramogi was then detained soon after for telling Kenyatta the truth to his face. The Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was challenging Kenyatta’s impunity and it is this impunity that his son has fought against for nearly a quarter century and not to mention he was detained several times for the fight. It is the injustice and impunity laced with official tribalism that has made Kenyans yearn for changes to the constitution.
For speaking the truth Rala Amolo Odinga was detained and tortured for nearly ten years.
Shamelessly Kikuyu leaders prefer calling Luo national politicians, including Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Luo leaders and not national leaders contrary to the fact. The determination is to make the country believe that Luos are the only tribalists. But when everybody chickened out, including the Kikuyu, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga fought for Jomo Kenyatta’s release. When everybody else chickened out, including Mwai Kibaki, Jaramogi and his son Raila Amolo Odinga fought until Section 2A was repealed. The son has now fought successfully until a new constitution is to be promulgated.
Because Jomo Kenyatta in his anti-nyamu rallies pre-conditioned most Kenyans and mostly the Kikuyu, to hate the Luos, most people see the ”Kenyatta hated Luo” in Raila Amolo Odinga and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and not their national political prowess. It is the misleading campaign of disinformation by Jomo Kenyatta after Mboya was assassinated that has led the country into very severe and dangerous negative ethnicity in which people like Koigi wa Wamwere and other senior Kikuyu politicians voluntarily took an oath never to allow a Luo to be president of Kenya.
Oaths are a serious matter that need exorcising and being washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. It is naive to think that we can wish away the effects of such Satanic oaths.
Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi made Raila Amolo Odinga what he is today for having tortured his knowing very well that he is innocent and stands for the truth. The people love Raila Amolo Odinga not because he s a Luo but because he is one of the most honest and consistent politicians Kenya has.
My heart skips a beat when I consider what could have happened to the Luos in general and Raila Amolo Odinga in particular had he rigged the December 2007 presidential elections!
All tribes including the Kikuyu need one another and in fact the rich arrogant tribes need peace more than the rest because they not only have their lives to protect but also their wealth. It is not the pleasure of any thinking Kenyan to see wealth politically going up in smoke.
All Kenyans need reconciliation through truth and justice not lies and greed. Our creator did not in His holy wisdom give us the same country for nothing.
The new constitution has vindicated Jaramogi Oginga Odinga for his fight.
DR ODIDA OKUTHE.
DR ODIDA OKUTHE
Intresting. There are 42 tribes in Kenya,what makes one believe that the 2 former presidents were against this 1 tribe. Moi has been out for close to 10 yrs yet there is no change in the politics of Nyanza.
I think its high time we move forward and stop focussing so much on the past.
The only wayout is to forget Raila because when he was politic real we didn’t understand him but now he is anew law of the land.Thelaw has been stolen!
kibaki is athief.Our Agwambo is gone for good!
Things are going so speedy that the common citizen understands completely
nothing!The rich are enriching themselves in the name of news law while the poor
don’t even know what to celebrate with empty stomuch!Voting alone would have added one meal to kenyans but no they shall look way to punish the poor for nothing wrong so that they poor can pay the billion kibaki is going to spend in nairobi !The kenyan need not to be invited for they are free to attend but for athief you must be invited???
Good analysis