On the decline of the Luo, the political scientist Lisa Morrison argues that part of that decline was as a result of the many occasions when Luo political elites failed to put their people in positions of power as part of their own broader calculations for the ultimate power.
Raila Odinga had a chance to put John Mbadi as Finance Minister but if not for President Ruto’s rejection, Oparanya would today be the Finance Minister of Kenya.
John Mbadi as Treasury Cabinet Secretary is a “historical fact” created purely by William Ruto.
The “myth” that a Luo cannot be Treasury CS is shattered. They now must manufacture other “myths”.
Part of the decline of the Luo community in relation to its independence peers has to do with the top Luo politicians choosing to unnecessarily sacrifice “lower Luos”.
Raila Odinga had elevated Oparanya when he made him the planning minister under Mwai Kibaki. Raila Odinga had made Oparanya the governor of Kakamega in two elections, and pushed him to helm the Council of Governors!
He owed him no debts.
When was enough really enough so that another leader had his day in the sun, too?
The decline of the Luo has been occassioned in many instances by the Luos at the top eating their own too much.
The structural ethnic encumberances placed on the Luo community by the exclusionist Kikuyu aside, we must first urgently deal with this issue.
Politically, it weakens “our people”.
