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, 9th 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 5th
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 5th 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 8th 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 13th 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 22nd 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.
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