During Jaramogi’s funeral in 1994, James Orengo lectured President Moi like a child.
Oloo Aringo who was the MC did not even recognize the presence of President Moi.
When President Moi rose to speak, the youths who’d been turbocharged by the belligerence coming from Orengo and the other Ford Kenya Speakers, jeered, booed and heckled Moi the entire time.
When President Moi left that funeral, he announced that he would cancel his cooperation with the Ford Kenya Party, which, like ODM to Raila Odinga; was Jaramogi’s Party at the time of his death.
Three years later Moi won his re-election in the 1997 presidential election while Ford Kenya lost relevance, became irrelevant and with Raila resigning from the party shortly thereafter to form NDP, died out and was buried in the ash heap of history; with nothing to show in the post-Jaramogi Kenya.
When Fidel Odinga died at a time we were at loggerheads with Uhuru; and youths attempted to boo/heckle President Uhuru’s representative, CS Rachel Omamo, (Uhuru did not attend out of fear of being booed/heckled; or chaos erupting); Raila stopped them.
Omamo — the only Luo in Uhuru’s cabinet and daughter of Bondo — finished reading the President’s condolence but after Raila Odinga took the microphone and furiously castigated those youths…he referred to them as “nyithindogi, akwerou to unyora anyora”.
During Jakom’s funeral, James Orengo, who was widely expected to castigate President Ruto and his government by adopting Sichietha’s attack lines, CHOSE extreme restraint; only urging President Ruto to ‘not kill the multi-party system’.
Whatever misgivings the Luo community have with President Ruto’s regime; our restraint during Baba’s funeral has really shocked many, especially those who had hoped the Luo of 2025 would behave like those Luos of 1994.
Whatever problems we may have with the State we shall air; but the Luo will not insult, demean, heckle, boo or jeer President Dr. William Samoei Ruto; especially when the President is in Luo Nyanza.
Huku kwetu we’ve chosen PEACE.
