We grew up knowing ex-PS Hezekiah Oyugi was a very bad person but then later you wonder how such a bad person was able to give back so much to Nyanza, building some of the most enduring schools and setting up the infrastracture on which a future university would emerge.
I leave it to those who were of age in the 1990s to account for Oyugi’s misdeeds but the sum total of Oyugi’s interventions ensured our community moved forward at a politically bad time.
Then, as now, the mainstream Luo political class did everything to destroy Oyugi.
When Dr. Ouko was killed, it is the Luo political class (which at that time had not even supported Ouko) who created the fake story of Oyugi’s involvement.
They wanted Oyugi out of government more than they wanted those who’d murdered Ouko to be held to account.
In a matter of months, we lost both Ouko (to death) and Oyugi (sacked).
With two of the community’s top sons out of government, the community regressed further into poverty, disease and illiteracy.
Was the war on Oyugi by those who had earlier opposed Ouko worth it?
Ouko had won his election in spite of the opposition by the mainstream Luo political class who had fielded Omino against him.
The Luo political class must learn that we gain nothing by self-immolation.
The current Luo political class should learn to work with their people in government just as they do with others.
Luo leaders who emerge from government ranks are just as important to our community as those we elect.
What the vast majority of Luos want is harmonious cooperation for the sole purpose of developing pinywa.
