By Anderson Ojwang
The ghost of a pre-independence decision by the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga regarding the country’s leadership has resurfaced in discussions surrounding the formation of a broad-based government between President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
In their negotiations, President Ruto and Raila agreed to allocate the position of Cabinet Secretary for Treasury and Economic Planning to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), specifically to the Nyanza region.
The role was offered to the then ODM National Chairman, John Ngongo Mbadi, who was deemed the most suitable candidate. The two leaders informed him of their intention to appoint him as Cabinet Secretary, a position that holds significant national importance.
Speaking at a function in Nyando, Mbadi recounted, “First, I want to address the people of Nyando and the Luo community. When Raila and Ruto spoke to me, they said, ‘Mbadi, we want to appoint you to the Executive, and specifically to Finance.’
There are two reasons I accepted this appointment. First, I had a personal reflection. In the Luo community, there is a story often told: Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was reportedly offered the presidency by the colonialists as Kenya approached independence. However, he declined, insisting it be given to Kenyatta, believing his (Jaramogi’s) time would come later.
To this day, we are still waiting for that presidency, and it has yet to come. Even now, we hold great respect for Jaramogi for his contributions to the nation. However, we mourn the decision, acknowledging that it might have been a mistake. Had he taken the leadership at independence, Kenya’s history might have been different.
I did not want to be part of the group the Luo community would blame for refusing a leadership opportunity. Since 1963, the Luo community has never held the Ministry of Finance, the granary of the nation. If I, John Mbadi, am offered the position and I refuse, no way! I said I would not decline. I want to be the CS.”
However, Nairobi-based advocate Patrick Ouya disagreed with Mbadi’s perspective. He argued that Jaramogi was a principled politician who was not driven by the allure of power, which is why the Luo community remains respected to this day.
“Jaramogi did not seek power through shortcuts but rather through clear and well-defined structures. The current generation of politicians is transactional and self-centred,” Ouya remarked. He described Jaramogi as a man of virtue who sacrificed his ambitions for the greater good of the nation.
The late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta became Kenya’s founding father, with Jaramogi Oginga Odinga serving as the first Vice President. However, the two later fell out. Oginga resigned from government and founded the Kenya People’s Union (KPU), which marked the beginning of the Luo community’s journey in opposition and subsequent marginalisation.
Jaramogi played a pivotal role in the repeal of Section 2A of the Constitution and was a founding member of Ford. However, Ford split into two factions: Ford Kenya, led by Jaramogi, and Ford Asili, led by the late Kenneth Matiba, in 1992.
President Daniel Moi won the 1992 elections, with Matiba coming second, Mwai Kibaki third, and Jaramogi fourth. Notably, Jaramogi returned to Parliament for the first time since his resignation.
Raila Odinga succeeded Jaramogi and has since made five bids for the presidency—in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022—but has not secured the seat. Recently, Raila exited local politics to vie for the position of Chairperson of the African Union, with the support of the government. He handed over party leadership to Kisumu Governor Prof Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o.
Mbadi justified the community’s decision to join the government, saying, “Let me tell you, my people, being in government is not a bad thing. Recently, when I spoke with the President, he asked me, ‘Mbadi, what strategies can we use to create employment?’
The number of youths graduating from colleges is immense, and the government cannot employ them all. Instead, it must create an enabling environment for industries to emerge and generate job opportunities.
I told him we need to strategise on the development of industries, particularly special economic zones. The President agreed and directed that sufficient funds be allocated in the upcoming budget to continue the special economic zone project in Kisumu at Kibos.”
Mbadi emphasised the Luo community’s significant contributions to national development, urging fairness in the distribution of resources. However, he expressed disappointment at the community’s marginalisation during resource allocation, often being given the least.
“It is time to ensure fairness in the distribution of the national cake and to put an end to skewed resource allocation,” he concluded.
