It's the 3rd week of December 2007 and Raila Odinga is a worried man.
A whirlwind of discontent is sweeping across Muhoroni constituency.
Prof. Ayiecho Olweny, the incumbent Member of Parliament and Raila's
right hand man, is facing the battle of his life. He has nothing to
show for his 5 years in Parliament and the electorate wants James
Onyango K'Oyoo as a replacement.
The general elections are 5 days away. Raila hires a chopper to Ombeyi
grounds and informs everyone that he is coming. The news sinks in
every nook and cranny, Muhoroni rises up in large numbers to tell him
to his face that he is making the biggest blunder of his political
career.
But the people of Muhoroni are in for a rude shock. Raila owns the
mind-reader, and sets out to use it to full effect. He informs the
crowd that he is aware they are unhappy with Prof. Olweny, and has no
intention to interfere with their freedom of choice. However before he
steps down from the podium, he had one kind request to make. He says;
Nyikwa Ramogi Ajwang', lwenje goya koni gi kocha. Lwenje mapek ma
useneno kod wenge u. Akwayou ni kik uweya e thim jowasigu biro hima,
miya uru thuondi mabiro konya goyo lweny (Grandchildren of Ramogi, I
am facing monumental battles from all corners.
You have seen what the enemy has done and is capable of doing. Do not
let me get mauled, I kindly ask you to give me leaders who'll help me
do battle). He needed to say no more. Prof. Olweny is back to
Parliament, with a landslide win. Everyone else salivating for the
position must wait a little longer.
That is a loaded statement that sums up Raila Odinga. It is Alexander
the Great who remarked that; I am not afraid of an army of lions led
by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion. Which
category would the Luo nation fall? Sadly, Raila Odinga has reduced
himself to a sheep leading a pack of upcoming lions. The statement
miya uru thuondi mabiro konya goyo lweny should be put into
perspective.
Over time, the calibre of representatives from Luo Nyanza has
strengthened. Brave men and women, those who have done battle with
their 'enemies' and won. James Orengo, Anyang' Nyongo, Gladys Wanga,
Liz Ongoro, Ababu Namwamba. These warriors have stuck their neck out
on the chopping board countless times. Ababu Namwamba once refused to
recognize Kibaki as the President of Kenya.
The new breed of brave leaders coming out of ODM ranks have proven
themselves beyond reasonable doubt. Yet they cannot be fully entrusted
with cleaning house from within because the Luo nation warns against
disturbing the equilibrium. If it's broken, let the King fix it. Not
anyone else.
The Luo equate politics to war. They are brought up to believe that
leadership is a preserve of the charismatic and the brave. Luanda
Magere was not thrust into the limelight through a boardroom decision,
neither was Gor Ogallo. You can't rig bravery, neither can you
counterfeit charisma. Cream always rises to the top. All thuondi mag
Luo fought for their rightful place in history. There is no other way
to earn that crown.
You see it in the House of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the anointed Luo
elder who was entrusted with offering political direction to the Luo
Nation at a time when the sons and daughters of the lake were going
through the most difficult period of their lives. Oburu, the elder
Odinga, is technically the cultural heir to Jaramogi's throne.
When Jaramogi closed his eyes to the world, Oburu was the automatic
baton-carrier of the Jaramogi political lineage, as the elder Odinga.
He remains just that, Jaramogi's successor. Political leadership is
not anybody's birthright. If you were to forget all of Jaramogi's
children, you will never forget Raila, the enigma, the pocket
battleship. He earned his place. No arguments about that.
Luo kings are not known to voluntarily step down. They do not know
retreat, neither is surrender in their vocabulary. They are either
summarily dismissed by a sanctioned cultural council, or they leave
the stage through the natural forces of death. Gor Ogallo had no heir,
Luanda Magere was irreplaceable. Jaramogi had to die for his son to
rise up. Same script, same cast. There is little chance the Luo nation
will ever get a fresh face while Raila Odinga is alive, unless we
travel to Jaramogi's mausoleum and seek audience with Oburu Odinga.
Oburu Odinga has on several occasions been quoted as saying "Kik unena
ka aling' kama. Tem uru ane tugo kod owadwa no UBIRO ng'eyo ni an ng'a
(Don't mistake my silence for weakness. If you mess with my kid
brother you will know my true colors). There is no defender of Raila
Odinga than Oburu. He has no option, really.
Jaramogi would not forgive him if he let Raila face the elements
unshielded. It must come from home. The last two people to alert the
world that Raila Odinga was under the threat of assassination were
Oburu Odinga and Jakoyo Midiwo – a brother, and a cousin. We learn
something about the Luo from this symbiotic arrangement.
Raila listens to no one other than his immediate family. He shares his
secrets with his blood kinship first, regardless of the political
implications of such decisions. To get into Raila Odinga's mindset
therefore, you have to go through Jaramogi's home. The Luo would have
it no other way.
It benefits ODM to have warriors in their ranks. Those you can count
on when the bell is sounded. But that is as far as you can get with
the current crop. You have lions who have been reduced to sheep by a
sheep who should be assuming the role of a lion. That is why Jubilee
has been making minced meat of ODM. For times on end.
ODM cannot have a national dialogue with Jubilee until they go on a
retreat with the House of Jaramogi. Oburu Odinga must assemble his
delegation from Opoda farm in Bondo to an unknown location to have a
candid talk with the Luo nation and their political outfit. This is a
party at war with itself.
The Luo nation's representatives must thank the house of Jaramogi for
sacrificing their father and son to defend us while under attack. At
times when we were in a quagmire, Jaramogi and his son came through
for us and saved our political blushes. We do not take this rare show
of altruism lightly.
The people of Bondo must also appreciate the undivided loyalty my
people have accorded their father and son over the years. While our
traditional political systems do not encourage obedience to more than
one centre of power, we had a constitutional choice to emulate our
in-laws across the border in Luhyaland and spread our votes like
chicken mash.
We waived that inalienable right for the love of their son, and it is
their time to reciprocate. The Odingas have nothing else left other
than to hand over the spear and flywhisk to another hard-fighting
territorial newbie. A time has come for Oburu to quote the price and
let my people go.
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