Photo: Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga (left) and Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa. PM Raila’s ancestry is in Mumias, Kakamega, he is related to King Nabongo of Wanga kingdom
By Cyprian Nyamwamu
How Tribalism will die its natural death.
In practically all families where a son or daughter or one of the parents attained university or college education or worked/ works in a major urban center, there has been an inter-ethnic marriage. My Uncle Cornelius turned 80 last week; his wife my Aunt Janet Achieng’ is from Kendu Bay married to our home in Kisii. His first born son Fred’s wife is from Meru. Their youngest daughter is married to Busia. My Late Dad’s second wife- my step Mum is Maragoli. Of course I am married to my Bukusu soulmate Wekesa’s daughter from Bungoma.
In March this year my brother Everesto married a Giriama bride who is now my Sister in law. The daughter of Elder Jona Owitti, CISA, the chairman of Homa Bay School Alumni is wedding her Kikuyu sweetheart. As you know my esteemed leader Cecily Mbarire (Embu) is married in Teso, Shebesh (Kikuyu) to Kakamega, Murkomen’s soul mate is from Kiambu. One of Sudi’s wives is from our place in Kisii. Late Dr Onyonka married a gracious, most honorable Tanzanian Lady with whom they together gave rise to distinguished children where an Airline pilot is one. Millie Mabona has even brought Zimbabwean love home to Kenya. I am told she is very cherished down in Mashona Land Central because as you know, Millie knows how to honor and appreciate people with a certain Luo touch. My Brother Kepta Ombati’s Tanzanian wife is a Professor of Laws which makes me bullish when in Dar because no one can tisha me lest my Sister arrives with a battery of Tundu Lissus.
Practically no one on Twitter, WhatsApp or Facebook can claim that their family is pure this or that ethnic community. None. There are no pure Merus, Giriamas, Abagusii, Luyhia, Kalenjin, Kambas in Kenya. Especially Kambas because several of my sisters and brothers are married there or from there. Even Kalonzo Musyoka is a korera to West Mugirango Nyamira and Prof Kibwana a korera to Prof Sam Ongeri.
That is why inter ethnic war will be hard to fan in future. You know why? Because dinner table talk in Kenya has changed forever. No one is going to ‘sengenya’ another ethnic community around the dinner table. Dinner table conversations in Kenya have been transformed forever. Only the Somalis and Indians will remain in their current mould but not for long because the Somalis have a 2040 vision of being in every single of the 47 counties and so their children will certainly intermarry or open up to other cultures.
Oathing among this or that ethnic community is going to be unviable now. Even Kalenjin warriors, or Maasai Morans (Ole Ntimama style) is no longer a sustainable proposition that it was in 2007. I wanted to advise Senator Ledama Ole Kina to start mentally preparing for a Somali governor in Narok in the very near future leave alone a Kikuyu one with the Kikuyus having intermarried with the Maasai for decades and being so many in that County.
This is the first time the Kikuyu will be having two non-Kikuyu candidates. Both Ruto and Raila will be Kikuyu candidates in 2022. I am told by deep state operatives that Ruto will most likely carry 50%, Raila will get 40% and akina Musalia and Kibwana will scoop the balance. I am talking about the Kikuyus of Kenya who could never contemplate casting a vote for a non-Kikuyu candidate now having only non-Kikuyu candidates. One person who has played a key role in this being possible is Raila Odinga in the way he made Kibaki a Luo candidate in 2002 pushing Uhuru-a Kalenjin candidate being marketed by Ruto- to the margins with a 21% show and then quickly convincing Ruto to make him (Raila) a Kalenjin candidate in 2007 for Ruto to make himself a Kalenjin supremo outside the shackles of Moi.
By the grace of God, in 2027 when I will seek the mandate of you the honorable people of Kenya to be your President, I will receive support from every part of Kenya because ethnic background shall have ceased to count as the key factor. We are moving from ethnic to class understanding/differentiation of interests. It is going to be a class interests discussion. The question in 2022 is already this; who is going to advance our class interests? Kikuyus are realizing, albeit late in the day, that Uhuru is not a Kikuyu candidate like they perceived him, but their exploiter-in-chief.
Uhuru works to secure the interests of the exploiting classes across the country and will never advance the interests of workers, nurses, teachers, peasant farmers in Murang’a or Ndenderu. Policies that Jubilee has made since 2013 were by and by exploiting-class policies.. like increasing retail milk prices per liter to Kshs 110 in supermarkets while what goes to the farmer for her raw milk keeps going down from kshs 30 per liter to Kshs 19. And then wanting to make hawking of milk illegal. Kikuyu peasant farmers and their working class sons and daughters are waking up to this reality that this thing is not ethnic but economic. Just like most Luo voters are waking up to the realization that this Raila is not their liberator of any kind that he was in the 1990s but Uhuru’s business partner mauling down their kiosks in Kisumu to clear the path way to opening the port and supply water to Kisumu residents. Together, Uhuru and Raila bulldozed in 2018 a 8%VAT on fuel products yet no value addition on fuel and petrol products happens on Kenyan shores to fuel. It’s all about exploitation of the wafuja jasho. You and me.
Kenyans are realizing that Hassan Joho is Uhurus business associate and the Mombasa port privatzation is going to benefit them while 23,000 port workers/linked workers will be rendered jobless at the port and Mombasa’s economy will be crippled overall as business moves to the dry port in Naivasha. Kenyans will soon realize that there are no fundamental differences between Ruto, Uhuru and Raila except the question of who should be the chief importer, auctioneer or commission taker of our country’s economy to/from the Americans, Chinese, Europeans or Japanese.
Kalenjins in 2022 may end up voting more for Kibwana than Ruto because electing Ruto will be committing a cardinal economic sabotage. Ruto has remained the principal exploiter of Rift Valley farmers by always masterminding importation of maize, wheat etc and getting the Cereals Board government money paid to crooks who dud not grow a cereal. Is this not why Walukhe is in jail?
Dr Vincent Okoth Ongore I appreciate your post which triggered this one.
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