THE STRUGGLE OF THE LUO NATION.

HOW THE LUO MANTLE NEVER SAW THE LIGHT OF DAY

Although, Thomas Joseph Odhiambo Mboya was never among the Kapenguria six or the prominent Mau-mau fighters, who were passionate to defend their ancestral land to the last drop of their blood; he played the most fundamental role in the clamor for Kenya’s independence. His was an epic monumental activism that must have been the invisible force which pushed the imperialists to full conviction to relinquish African land.

 The Kapenguria six were arrested by the colonial government as the luminaries of the Mau mau rebellion, and were incarcerated in Kapenguria for 9 years. Among the six was Ramogi Achieng Oneko. Who was born in Tienga village Uyoma sublocation, the year 1920.

Alongside other Mau-mau fighters he is credited with the invincible feat of Kenyas independence in 1963, through his critical role in their uprising. The then prime minister, Jomo Kenyatta appointed him to the portfolio of minister for information, broadcasting and tourism. A post he quit in 1966 to decamp to the newly formed party by Jaramogi Oginga, Kenya peoples union.

The political upheavals of 1969 following the visit by Jomo Kenyatta to Kisumu town, led to massive protests against the government.  Oneko was arrested together with other Luo activists. He was only released later in 1975. After a long stay out of politics, he rejoined politics after the dawn of the second liberation. He won Rarieda seat which he latter lost in 1997, as a member of parliament. Oneko passed on, 9^th June 2007 succumbing to heart attack. Of the 87 years he lived Ramogi Achieng Oneko spent a whopping fifteen years in the confines of jail. After fighting for the country so much his fellow patriot still had the audacity to send him to jail over dissention and opposition to government.

It is in 1969 during the flaring dissatisfaction with government, when Oneko was arrested and locked in for six years and Thomas Mboya assassinated on 5^th July 1969. During the infamous visit to Kisumu, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was also arrested after public verbal exchange with President Kenyatta.

Today former ethics and anti-corruption commission chairman, Professor Patrick Lumumba, is believed to be the best speaker and orator in Kenya and across the borders. However, Lumumba is no better orator or speaker than the late Thomas Joseph Odhiambo Mboya.

I am persuaded to believe, Tom Mboyas diplomacy and charisma contributed a more critical role than what Mau-mau fighters like Achieng Oneko were doing in the forest as guerilla war. “Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. I am not unmindful of the fact that violence often brings about momentary results. Nations have frequently won their independence in battle, but in spite of temporary victories, violence never brings permanent peace.”

As Africans we can delude ourselves it was the violence we waged with the imperialist that earned us freedom of self rule, but no.  In the words of Mahatma Gandhi it is true conquest is not achieved by physical strength, “Strength does not come from physical capacity but an indomitable will.” This is why I feel Tom mboyas intelligence, charm, and leadership and oratory skills is what brought the colonialists to a deeper conviction of relinquishing that which belonged to us. In a gentle way he touched the world so violently that the white man gave up.

Mboyas magnificence won the hearts of many worlds over, as he gave speeches, debates and lectures across the world advocating for Kenya’s independence. At a tender age of 28, he was elected conference chairman at The All African Peoples Conference convened by Kwameh Nkurumah of Ghana.  He facilitated the formation of trade unions in Kenya Uganda and Tanzania and across the whole of Africa. He represented Africa continent in the, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, after which he formed an All Africa labor organization.

It was Thomas Mboya who liaised with the then US Senator, John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King to create opportunities for African students to study in the United States. Among the initial Airlift beneficiaries was none other than, Professor Wangari Maathai and The father to former American president Barack Obama. The former president of course was borne to his father during his stay in the United States.  In 1960 it was this Luo icon who became the first Kenyan to feature in the Times Magazine in a printing by Bernard Safran.

This son of Ramogi is the one who was bequeathed mantle-ship of the then revolutionary party, Kenya African Union which was later banned by the colonial government; to forge ahead with the quest for self rule when Jomo Kenyatta and the Mau Mau luminaries were kept in detention. After his election to the office of secretary general of the Kenya Federation of Labor, he used the office to reach out to the world, discussing British oppressive rule in Kenya while in London and Washington. Tom Mboya employed his diplomacy skills in negotiating the release of Jomo Kenyatta and the other Mau-mau leaders, after which together with Oginga Odinga and mzee Jomo they formed Kenya African National Union party in 1961.  Tom Mboya is also the one who designed the Kenyan Flag for the new Republic in 1964.

Post independence, he was appointed minister for Labour during which he founded, The National Social Security Fund, as kenyas social security scheme. These including the Industrial Court were his own original ideas he birthed.

When Mboya was later appointed minister for economic planning, together with Mwai Kibaki they issued Sessional paper 10. This described Kenya’s form of economic policies. He was credited with a 7% economic growth rate of the Kenyan economy throughout his tenure as planning minister.

The glowing flame in this Luo hero was abruptly extinguished on 5^th July 1969 when he was fatally shot at close range, on Government road (Moi Avenue) by Nahashon Isaac Njenga Njoroge. His gruesome murder was termed political assassination when the man who pulled the trigger after his arrest exclaimed, “WHY DON’T YOU GO AFTER THE BIG MAN?”  The killer was convicted for murder and hanged on November 8^th the same year following sentence.

On the height of his death, Thomas Joseph Odhiambo was seen as a possible contender for presidency. He was most popular. So sad, in those days, presidential contenders went the greatest mile to kill competitors and rivals. This is how sadly a luo mantle from Rusinga Island and borne to a couple working as sisal workers in Kilima Mbogo,  was blown off, shattering hopes of the Luo nation ascending to the coveted rule. An alternative, conspiracy theory suggested, he died in the hands of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga insiders because he was perceived to attract more political support than Oginga from the western region. Though, the latter theory must have been a propaganda hatched to diffuse the fact of the mysterious, “Big man”.

Another Luo mantle that was inhumanely quenched by power hunger is the late Dr. john Robert Ouko, E.G.H, M.P. He was abducted from his Koru farm early morning killed and was found 2.8km from his home on 13^th February 1990 by a herd’s boy.

According to the Gor Sungu led committee appointed by Mwai Kibakis Narc government to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death, two theories to his death emerged. First, is a dispute dating back to 1988 general elections about opposition to the revival of Molasses plant in Ouko’s constituency? It was alleged senior public officials demanded kickbacks for its revival. Perhaps this was part of a corruption dossier Ouko was allegedly holding prior to his death.

The Washington trip which took place early February 1990, where a delegation of 84 government officials led by president Moi attended a private prayer breakfast in Washington, was the other theory that motivated Ouko’s killing. During the meeting George Bush senior and Secretary of state James Baker allegedly urged president Moi to hand over presidency to Dr. Ouko who was deemed able to reclaim Kenya’s international standing. It further stated the, United Kingdom had urged the then president Moi to ensure Dr. Ouko became president in the 1988 elections. This led to the misconception of, Dr. Ouko was  courting foreign support to ascend to power.

The committee further, suggested due to the Washington differences, the son of the Luo flown back to Kenya on a separate flight from the presidential delegation. By the time he arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, he had already been sacked by the president. His passport was seized, his personal security and official car both withdrawn and was directed by the president to rest in his Koru farm, where he was abducted and latter found killed.

The commission concluded, the son of Ramogi was killed in statehouse Nakuru in the presence of other accomplices including Energy minister Nicholas Biwott then transported back to the foot of Got Alila where his corpse was discovered. The committee survived challenges so much that Otieno Kajwang resigned from it, even being disbanded in 2005. The grand coalition government pitted with sharp political division and partisan affiliations rejected Gor Sungu led commission report on 22^nd December 2010 on its reintroduction. The argument of the legislators was that, it was a shoddy work used to settle political scores. There were though allegations of bribery of legislators to reject the report. The grounds for its rejection were the disparity arising on the actual time and location of his murder. Forensic evidence by The Scotland Yard led by investigative superintendent John Troon noted that, Dr. Ouko had been shot where exactly where his body was found or a few feet away.

This Article is written by, Danish Kotcharo – Blogger.