The late former Kasipul-Kabondo MP, Samuel Onyango Ayodo, made history as the first Kenyan from the Luo community to study in America and was one of the four Luos to sit in the first Cabinet of President Jomo Kenyatta at only 33 years, being among the youngest ministers at that time.
He was the Minister for Local Government.
In 1974, he won the Kasipul Kabondo parliamentary seat on the independence party Kenya African National Union (KANU) single party system, serving until 1983.
Hailing from Kowidi in Kasipul constituency, Ayodo was also the first graduate from South Nyanza.
Born in 1930, he attended Maseno school where he was famed for his brains, with teachers branding him ‘a man to watch’, before joining Makerere University and later to the Union College in Nebraska on a scholarship, later graduating in 1956 with a BSC in education.
In 1961 he joined the LegCo to represent South Nyanza, and after independence Kenyatta appointed him a Cabinet Minister.
Ayodo ventured into active politics in 1959 when he was elected to the Colonial Legislative Council, representing the vast South Nyanza region, which at the time also included the Gusii area.
This significant milestone was facilitated by Tom Mboya, who recruited him from Kisii Government School (now Kisii High School), with support from Paramount Chief Musa Nyandusi. Nyandusi endorsed Ayodo, citing his superior education and personality compared to Lawrence Sagini and Polcapo Mboya.
He was also one of the few people who had the guts to confront Kenyatta who had just returned to politics.
Just after the KANU delegates conference of December 1961, some of Mboya’s supporters were not happy with the manner he had been treated during the conference with the main grievance being that Kenyatta had become too close to Odinga, and together they were working towards eclipsing Mboya politically.
Ayodo, being the closest Mboya ally at that time and leader of the “Mboya Group” as it was known, was planning to create a situation which would result in the Economic and Planning minister breaking away from KANU to form his own party.
He set the ball rolling on 29 Dec 1961 when he claimed that there was an underground spy and murder ring within KANU which was planning to assassinate Mboya. Ayodo repeated these allegations on 3rd January 1962.
He went on to claim that Kenyatta and Odinga were aware of the situation but were not ready to take any preventive action. Ayodo’s allegations although a reflection of his own personal opinions, were in reality those of Mboya.
On 4 January 1962, Kenyatta convened a KANU Executive Council meeting to discuss Ayodo’s allegations. Thirteen members were present and six non members . The latter were later expelled by Kenyatta from the meeting when Ayodo complained that they were not authorised to attend.
Ayodo was then taken to task by Kenyatta to substantiate his allegations with undeniable facts but was unable to do so. Kenyatta who was annoyed reacted by proposing a vote of censure against him which was unanimously supported by all those present.
Ayodo expressed dissatisfaction with the findings and was told by Kenyatta that unless he agreed to abide by the rules of the party he should resign.
Kenyatta left the matter and opened the meeting to journalists who were present.However as he commenced to give a statement on the proceedings of the meeting, he was interrupted by Ayodo who despite being warned not to say anything ,was determined to force a show down by taking the matter further. He then expressed his anger by walking out of the meeting.
This act of insubordination by Ayodo infuriated Kenyatta who, when questioned about it by journalists was not able to utter a word.
Most members present were of the opinion that Ayodo presented his case in such a rude and inept manner that made it impossible for any member of the Executive Council to support him.
Were it not for the need to maintain a facade of unity in view of the upcoming constitutional conference, Kenyatta would have expelled him from KANU.
The aim was to force a split in KANU by raising a big issue, and it appeared Ayodo’s case did not provide good grounds to achieve the desired objectives.
