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The Luhya Renaissance: The Reawakening of a Sleeping Giant, Why the Western Could Be Slipping Away from the Grasp

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By Anderson Ojwang

The death of former Cabinet Minister Cyrus Jirongo could not have come at a worse time or in a worse manner, but his burial last week in Kakamega became a turning point in Luhya community politics.

It marked the Luhya renaissance, the sleeping giant finally waking up to the reality of its prominence at the country’s political table of power and strategically demanding its rightful slot.

In what former President Uhuru Kenyatta termed at the burial as “Kenya has lost another president, the president that never was,” the words reverberated at every corner of the tent and across the Luhya community and the country.

“As a county, we have lost a president. He had the capacity to be the president of Kenya,” he said.

Leaders from the community revealed that Jirongo had marshalled sizeable resources for a stab at the presidency in the 2027 general election, a move that rekindled the community’s journey to the presidency.

In what could be termed a subtle Jirongo declaration, the community was in unison in its demand to be at the table of the national cake, with Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya declaring that he was ready to leave ODM to ensure Luhya unity and ascension to the presidency.

“Jirongo tried to unite the Luhya community. Whenever I met him, he would talk to me about Luhya unity. One day I asked him if I was the problem and the impediment to unity.

Because I am in ODM, if I am the obstacle, I am ready to leave the party, as the deputy party leader at that time, to unite the community and form a single political party.

We have three Luhyas who are party leaders of political parties: Eugene Wamalwa, Moses Wetangula and Musalia, but he dissolved his party. These are the party leaders. Let me say this: I am ready to leave ODM to unite the Luhya community.

I know if we come together, we are the sleeping giant in this country,”he said.

Top Luhya leaders, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula, appeared subdued, and mourners even trickled out when Musalia rose to speak.

Busia Governor Paul Otuoma, who failed to read the mood of the mourners and the community, was forced to cut short his speech after the crowd booed and jeered him.

The charged and fiery youthful community leaders have masterminded a coup against the traditional political leaders in the community and have become the new sheriffs in Luhya land.

This was a significant moment for the Luhya community and, for President William Ruto and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) of the late Raila Amolo Odinga, the community could be fast slipping away from their grasp.

Ruto’s allies are under siege from youthful leaders from the region who want to call the shots and have been on overdrive to woo residents into their bloc.

For ODM, wrangles now pit the party leader Dr Oburu Odinga-led wing, coalescing around national party chairperson Gladys Wanga, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir and Junet Mohamed, against party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, deputy party leader Geoffrey Osotsi and Siaya Governor James Orengo.

Recently, the Luhya Council of Elders asked the party leadership to resolve any differences, noting that the community also has a stake in the party.

The leaders said that since independence, the Luhya community has been used by some leaders to ascend to the presidency and later relegated to the dustbin.

“Since 1963, people have used Luhyas and forgotten the voters. I have heard our senior leaders saying that in 2027 we will not have a presidential candidate. We want a Luhya presidential candidate in 2027. Luhyas, do you want to wait for 2032 or 2027?

Let us be honest. If two people who are inside the government start to eat, they think all Luhyas are also eating. In the 2027 presidential election, Luhyas will present a candidate.

Recently, the President was in Kiambu, where he launched road construction worth Sh5 billion, but in Luhya land they are for Sh100 million,” they said.

Kakamega Senator Dr Boni Khalwale said Luhya unity was unstoppable and that anyone seeking to negotiate with the community must lay their cards on the table.

“If Ruto wants Luhyas to support him in 2027, he must come afresh on fresh terms, and that is not disrespect. Now he is making terms with the Luo and the Kikuyu.

How come, from nowhere, Musalia says we are supporting Ruto? Where did you agree with the Luhya community?” he said.

Vihiga Senator Geoffrey Osotsi said the huge Luhya community’s investment in ODM could not be taken for granted.

“We are in ODM to stay and nobody will throw us out. We are not cowards. We have invested in this party from 2007 to date,” he said.

Edwin Sifuna said, “The Mulembe nation must be on the presidential ballot in 2027. We ask you, Wetangula and Mudavadi, to support us on that.”

Eugene Wamalwa said Jirongo was a uniting factor in the community and that, in his honour, they would present a candidate.

“We must inject sobriety into our politics. We are not enemies. Let us sit together and plan our future.

In 2027, Jirongo had a plan. He told us he had mobilised billions of shillings for a presidential campaign, and those who looked down on the Luhya community, saying they did not have money, were going to be shocked. As the people of Western, we have planned for the presidential ballot,” he said.

KANU party leader Gideon Moi summed it up by urging the community to unite and exploit the value of their numbers.

“Jirongo was prepared for 2026 to launch his campaign. Luhyas, do not be an elephant that does not know the value of its tusks.

Your unity will shake the country’s political landscape; your unity will help Kenya,” he said.

OBURU’S DECLARATION STIRS ODM WATERS AHEAD OF 2027 POLLS

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lom robb
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By James Okoth

Dr. Oburu Oginga’s bold proclamation that he would be the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) presidential candidate if the party runs solo in the 2027 elections has sent ripples through the party’s ranks, reigniting questions about succession, unity and ideological consistency within the Orange family.

The elder statesman and brother to former ODM leader, the late Raila Odinga, stated unequivocally that, “ODM cannot be sold to anyone in Kenya,” adding that, “no one can afford it.” The remarks, both defiant and sentimental, were quickly interpreted as a strong signal of internal tension and power recalibration in one of Kenya’s oldest political movements.

What the ODM Constitution Says

According to the ODM Party Constitution, the National Delegates Convention (NDC) remains the supreme organ empowered to elect the party’s presidential flagbearer. The process begins with expressions of interest to the National Elections Board (NEB), which then vets aspirants before presenting them to the NDC for a final decision through consensus or competitive vote.

The document emphasises internal democracy, equity and transparency, suggesting that no individual, regardless of seniority or historical contribution, can self-declare candidacy without going through the formal process.

Is Dr. Oburu the Right Fit?

Dr. Oburu’s stature as a veteran politician and founding member of ODM lends his words considerable weight. His experience, spanning from the struggle for multiparty democracy to the corridors of regional representation in the East African Legislative Assembly, makes him one of the party’s longest-serving ideologues.

However, at 83, questions abound about his political stamina, generational appeal and strategic viability in a political environment dominated by youthful mobilisation and image-driven campaigns. While his declaration evokes nostalgia for ODM’s early reformist zeal, it may also expose the party’s struggle to renew its leadership pipeline.

The Aspirants and the Silent Storm

ODM is not short of ambitious figures quietly positioning themselves for 2027. Governors, MPs and former ministers allied to the party have maintained a cautious distance from the succession debate, aware that early pronouncements could invite disciplinary measures or alienate Raila loyalists.

Names such as Wycliffe Oparanya, Hassan Joho and Opiyo Wandayi continue to surface in hushed conversations. Their challenge lies in balancing loyalty to Raila with readiness to inherit his political constituency, a delicate dance that Oburu’s statement may have inadvertently complicated.

Which Way for ODM?

Party insiders argue that the Orange brand must reassert its identity as a movement of reform and social justice, not merely a political vehicle. To achieve that, ODM must modernise its messaging, empower its youthful base and foster credible internal competition free from personality cults.

Does Oburu’s Declaration Signal Division?

While Oburu’s remarks reflect confidence and protective loyalty, they also underscore growing unease within ODM over succession management. His tone, that ODM “cannot be sold,” hints at suspicion that external interests may be seeking to influence the party’s future direction or leadership transition.

Analysts interpret the declaration as both a warning and a plea: a warning to political opportunists seeking to capture ODM and a plea to the party’s faithful to defend its legacy. Yet, in doing so, it risks deepening internal divides between the old guard and emerging voices calling for generational change.

Dr. Oburu’s statement has opened an important, if uncomfortable, debate within ODM. It forces the party to confront its identity crisis, torn between historical loyalty to the Odinga name and the urgent need to reimagine itself in a rapidly shifting political landscape.

As the 2027 race inches closer, ODM must decide whether to rally around a single unifying vision or risk fragmentation in the name of legacy politics. The Orange Movement’s next chapter will depend not on declarations, but on deliberate renewal rooted in democratic process and shared purpose.

Thoughts for Political Party Manifestations for 2027

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lom robb
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Billy Mijungu

By Billy Mijungu

Health financing in Kenya must be reimagined beyond payroll deductions and overstretched insurance schemes. A sustainable alternative lies in consumer-based taxation on fast-moving consumer goods, structured in a VAT-like model.

Food is health, and what we consume daily should directly finance the system that keeps the nation productive. This approach spreads responsibility fairly across society while reducing pressure on workers and employers.

At the same time, Kenya must decisively transition towards industrial agriculture. Smallholder farming alone cannot sustain a modern economy. The future lies in large-scale agribusiness, structured farmer aggregation, mechanisation, and strong value-chain processing.

From seed to shelf, Kenya must stop exporting raw produce and start exporting value. Industrial agriculture will stabilise food prices, improve farmer incomes, strengthen food security, and create millions of jobs across logistics, manufacturing, and export industries.

Water infrastructure must be elevated to the level of a strategic national asset. Without reliable water systems, agriculture, industry, and urban growth will remain constrained. Large-scale dams, water harvesting, irrigation corridors, and smart distribution systems should be treated as nation-building projects, just like roads and power. Water is not just a social good; it is an economic multiplier.

Equally, ICT infrastructure must be positioned at the core of national development. Broadband connectivity, data centres, cloud infrastructure, and digital public services will power Kenya through artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0, and future-facing innovation.

Digital infrastructure today is what railways were to the Industrial Revolution. Nations that invest early will dominate productivity, governance efficiency, and global competitiveness.

A winning political manifesto must therefore link health, food, water, and technology into one integrated economic vision. A healthy population, fed by a modern agricultural system, powered by water security, and connected through world-class digital infrastructure, is the foundation of a prosperous Kenya.

Reintegration of girls who escaped from FGM begins in Migori County ahead of schools reopening

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By Erick Otieno

Gender activists in Migori County have started the process of reintegrating into society girls who escaped female genital mutilation (FGM) among the Kuria community, as schools are set to reopen for the academic calendar next week.

From November this year, the Bwirege clan in the Kuria region, cutting across both Kenya and Tanzania, started the circumcision period, forcing several girls to flee their homes to avoid the cut.

At Komotobo Maranatha Mission in Kuria East Sub-County, 120 girls have been seeking shelter at the facility for the past two months after being rejected by their parents.

Activists said the girls will be safe at the shelter until January 5, when schools reopen, as they are certain the circumcision period will be over.

“But most of these girls have been rejected by their families, and with schools set to reopen next week, we have started the process of counselling to ensure they are back with their families to continue with their education,” said Benter Odhiambo, Coordinator at Micontrap Kenya.

She was speaking on Tuesday when the organisation organised a donation of food and toiletries to the girls before holding a bonding and counselling session with them to celebrate the festive season.

She said activists from the region are working to ensure there is 100 per cent transition in education, which is the main challenge they face immediately after circumcision.

“Once circumcised, girls are considered mature and ready for marriage, or they start engaging in sex and marrying early, which leads to low rates of returning to school,” she said.

Already, counsellors have started engaging parents and guardians of the girls at the rescue centre to allow them to return home and resume schooling.

Denis Marwa, the centre manager, said that since 2007 they have opened their doors to fleeing girls, as the region lacks a government-owned rescue centre, and they have continued to receive girls escaping circumcision, with some coming from as far as Tanzania.

“We have girls whose parents were arrested and are undergoing the judicial process, while others have outrightly rejected any attempt for them to return home, which will affect their education,” Marwa said.

He said that at the centre, they have been training the girls in life skills and linking them with role models — other girls who fled earlier and are now either married, professionals or still in school — to encourage them.

“We will have to release them back to their families in one way or another because schools are set to open. We have created a team of elders, church leaders and family members to ensure they are reintegrated,” he said.

Colleta Bwahi, Micontrap Kenya Chief Executive Officer, said they will ensure they obtain data from schools and public administration on transition rates.

The three called on the government to help build a rescue centre that will provide girls with a longer and safer environment when they flee FGM.

They said that for over two decades, calls by activists to establish such a centre have been met with no action from the government and elected leaders.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DISMISSES CLAIMS OF SCHOOL FEES INCREASE

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By James Okoth

The Ministry of Education has firmly dismissed reports alleging that school fees in public secondary schools have been increased by KSh 9,374, terming the claims false and misleading.

In a statement released today, Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba clarified that no changes have been made to the existing school fees structure for public secondary or senior schools. He emphasised that learners in public day secondary schools will continue to pay zero tuition fees, while boarding fees remain unchanged under the existing government framework.

“There has been no increase in school fees for public secondary or senior schools. Claims suggesting otherwise are misleading,” the statement read in part.

According to the Ministry, the legal basis for school fees remains Kenya Gazette Notice No. 1555 of 2015, which set out the original framework for tuition and boarding fees under the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) programme. Initially, parents were required to pay KSh 9,374 per learner, while the government contributed KSh 12,870 per learner per year.

However, following the full implementation of FDSE, the government increased its subsidy to KSh 22,244 per learner per year, effectively removing any tuition obligation from parents. This position, the Ministry noted, was later operationalised through a series of circulars reaffirming the government’s full sponsorship of tuition in all public secondary schools.

The Ministry further explained that FDSE covers all learners, including those in boarding schools. Boarding students only pay approved boarding fees, which have remained unchanged since the FDSE Guidelines issued on November 26, 2019.

Under the current framework, boarding schools in major urban centres are permitted to charge up to KSh 53,554, while those in other areas charge up to KSh 40,535. Special Needs Schools are capped at KSh 12,790.

“These amounts have remained unchanged and no school is permitted to exceed them,” the statement reiterated.

Mr Ogamba also dismissed suggestions that the recent transition from the old classification of schools — National, Extra-County, County and Sub-County — to the new cluster system (C1–C4) had introduced new costs. The restructuring, he said, was purely administrative, as recommended by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform, and had no financial implications for parents.

The Ministry warned that any school found charging unauthorised levies would face firm administrative and disciplinary action. Parents and guardians were encouraged to report such cases to education offices for immediate intervention.

This is the second time the Ministry has issued clarification on the matter, following a similar press release on November 6, 2025, which reaffirmed the government’s commitment to keeping secondary education free and accessible to all.

In his New Year message, the Education Cabinet Secretary extended warm wishes to parents, teachers and students, expressing optimism for a prosperous 2026 and a successful school year.

“Parents, guardians and the public are assured that school fees have not been increased, day scholars pay zero fees, and boarding fees remain unchanged,” the statement concluded.

ODM apologises to former President Uhuru over attacks as internal wrangles in the party explode

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By Anderson Ojwang

The brewing storm in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is not about to end any time soon, and it is likely to explode, shattering two decades of unity and strength.

The party has now officially apologised to former President Uhuru Kenyatta over recent attacks by a section of leaders who claim he failed to deliver the presidency to Azimio presidential candidate, the late Raila Odinga, in the 2022 elections.

They also accuse Uhuru of trying to sponsor a takeover using another wing opposed to the broad-based arrangement with President William Ruto.

However, all is not well in the late Raila Amolo Odinga’s party, as leaders have opted for bare-knuckle politics, and it is just a matter of time before the ghost of Ford-K — which pitted Raila against the late Wamalwa Kijana and reared its ugly face over party leadership — consumes ODM.

The Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, speaking in Lugari during the burial of Cyrus Jirongo, made a public apology to Uhuru over the recent criticisms.

“Hon Uhuru Kenyatta, today is 30th December 2025. Because I am still the spokesperson of ODM, I want to ask you for forgiveness over the recent abuse and attacks by a section of the ODM leadership,” he said.

Sifuna said Uhuru’s contribution to Raila’s pursuit of the presidency could not be downplayed and was immense.

“They have forgotten your role. We were there and we bear witness to your contribution. Today, they want to destroy the hands that fed them. On behalf of the ODM party, I want to say we are sorry. If there is no day ODM has come to thank you for the support, let me say it as the Secretary General of ODM: thank you for supporting Baba,” he said.

Last Sunday in Homa Bay, ODM National Chairperson, Governor Wanga, and Minority Leader in the National Assembly, Junet Mohamed, accused Uhuru of plotting to use insiders in the party to cause internal divisions.

Wanga accused Uhuru of hiring wheeler-dealers within the party to cause chaos and confusion in the outfit, which now enjoys a cordial working relationship with the UDA Party under a broad-based arrangement.

“We have respect for President Uhuru Kenyatta. However, if you want to destroy the ODM Party by sending wheeler-dealers to us, then we reject your plans. We will not take that matter lightly, as we will deal with it perpendicularly,” warned Wanga.

Uhuru dismissed the accusations as “baseless propaganda” used by politicians to mask their own failures.

“I am retired, but let me be clear: if you poke me in the eye, I will poke back. Let us respect one another. I respect the political order and the multiparty space created through great struggle, and others should do the same,” Uhuru said.

Junet claimed Uhuru was enticing some ODM leaders with financial support to revitalise the party in order to join the united opposition.

“If you want to be party leader, go and form your party. There are people who want to take over our party. There are people who are being paid by former President Uhuru Kenyatta. We want to tell them that if they think Dr Oburu has no ability, we are his foot soldiers and we will fight to the bitter end,” he claimed.

Junet promised that 2026 would be an all-out battle, saying it would be premium tears and that they would not be scared by cheap threats.

“Call us brokers, call us thieves, we are not leaving the broad-based government. It is you who are going to leave ODM. Uhuru Kenyatta failed to make Raila president despite having the instruments of power,” he said.

He said it was only the party leader, Dr Oburu, who is mandated by the constitution to run for the presidency.

“There are some within ODM who say that ODM must have a presidential candidate. The constitution says the presidential candidate is the party. Dr Oburu is the one who will tell us if he wants to be the presidential candidate or not. This is not a party of drunkards,” he said.

ODM Deputy Leader Geoffrey Osotsi said the Luhya community would not be pushed out of ODM and told Junet that his community has marginal votes.

“If they bring war, we will give it back to them. We are not cowards. We have invested in this party as Luhyas from 2007 to date. We cannot now be told to leave because Baba is not there.
Junet Mohamed, where you come from has marginal votes. We have more votes from our region than yours,” he said.

Oburu has maintained that ODM is in a broad-based alliance and will support President Ruto’s re-election to serve a second term.

However, his younger sister, Ruth Odinga, wants the party to field a presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.

ODM is increasingly becoming a theatre of absurdity, and it is only a matter of time before the two camps engage in a running battle over party leadership and ownership.

Mali Mali reclaims Karamoja Super Cup in Malava

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lom robb
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By Phillip Orwa

Mali Mali Ladies defeated defending champions Kimang’eti Queens 1–0 in a hard-fought encounter to reclaim the women’s championship during the seventh edition of the Karamoja Super Cup on Sunday, in a match that was staged at Samitsi Grounds in Malava.

Marion Chambisa scored the solitary goal of the game midway through the second half, rounding the goalkeeper perfectly before passing the ball into an empty net to secure the win for Mali Mali, who had also won the championship in 2023.

With the win, Mali Mali Ladies took home Sh300,000, while Kimang’eti Queens received Sh150,000 courtesy of title sponsors Betika, who have been the core sponsors throughout the seven editions. On their part, Musungu Queens received Sh100,000 for finishing third.

Speaking at a packed Samitsi Grounds on Sunday, organiser Bramwel Karamoja said: “We started with just eight teams in the inaugural tournament, and that has grown to more than 150 teams for both women and men in the seventh edition. The tournament has had a big impact on the whole community. Apart from football, locals have the opportunity to earn money by vending various items, which is something they always look forward to every year.
I want to thank Betika for always being my main partner through the Betika na Community initiative. We have had players scouted and moved to the Kenya Premier League, which shows the impact on the field this tournament continues to have. We look forward to an even better eighth edition next year.”

This year marked the seventh edition of the Karamoja Super Cup. This annual grassroots football tournament has grown into a festival of football and a staple event in the region’s grassroots sports calendar since its inception in 2019.

Elsewhere, Green Commandos and Young Ladies were crowned champions of the 15th edition of the Chris Oguso Cup, another annual grassroots tournament backed by Betika.

Green Commandos beat Madioli FC 1–0 in the men’s final, courtesy of a goal by midfielder Alvin Inyang’u in the 14th minute, while Young Ladies beat Nice Ladies 2–1 in the women’s final. Willy Gloria scored first for Young Ladies in the 31st minute, with Mary Mumbua doubling the score in the 70th minute. Yvonne Atieno pulled one back in the 89th minute for Nice Ladies, but it was not enough to stage a comeback.

Green Commandos took home Sh400,000, while Young Ladies pocketed Sh300,000. First runners-up Madioli FC bagged Sh200,000, with Nice Ladies receiving Sh100,000.

ODM’s Mixed Messaging Will Be Its Demise

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lom robb
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By Billy Mijungu

ODM is facing a serious internal crisis. The party’s biggest threat today is not external competition but the confusion created by its own mixed messaging. The multiplicity of schools of thought within ODM points to fragmentation, and reassembling that unity will be a task like no other. Raila Odinga once held these competing interests together almost effortlessly. Without that singular authority, the cracks are becoming more visible by the day.

ODM does not lack numbers, history, or national presence. What it lacks at this moment is clarity. A party cannot move forward when it is speaking in many voices, pulling in different directions, and advancing conflicting political strategies simultaneously. Mixed messaging creates uncertainty among supporters, weakens negotiating power, and portrays a party that is unsure of itself.

The solution is not complicated. ODM needs unity, discipline, and focus. It must stay off political limits, stop the internal noise, and concentrate on putting its leaders on the ballot in a coordinated and united manner. In fact, one could argue that this task is easier without the immediate burden of a presidential contest. Strong parliamentary, gubernatorial, and county-level representation would anchor the party firmly while preserving its long-term national relevance.

Today, everyone wants a piece of ODM. Names keep popping up daily, each attached to a different agenda. There are those who want William Ruto to be ODM’s preferred candidate. There are those who insist ODM must remain firmly in opposition. Others want an internally grown ODM presidential candidate. Some are using the party as a bargaining chip to negotiate personal positions, while others simply do not care about the party’s future as long as their short-term interests are served.

This lack of consensus is dangerous. It creates the impression of a party drifting without a compass at a time when strategic clarity is most needed. Wisdom seems to be eluding ODM precisely when it should be most grounded, most disciplined, and most deliberate.

Political parties do not collapse overnight. They erode slowly through indecision, internal contradictions, and failure to manage ambition. If ODM does not urgently resolve its mixed messaging, align its leadership, and speak with one clear voice, its decline will not come from defeat at the ballot but from confusion within its own ranks.

Unity is not optional. It is existential.

The Luo nation stands at a crossroads. Will we let history decide our future, or will we take the wheel and steer our destiny?

By
lom robb
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By Joshua Nyamori

The Road Beyond the Shell: A Luo Call to Strategy, Memory, and Destiny

There comes a season when a people must choose whether to live by memory or by strategy — whether to cling to familiar comfort, or to walk boldly towards a future that demands courage. Today, the Luo nation stands at such a threshold.

I write not as a stranger to ODM, but as one who once served within it — a former party official, a loyal foot soldier of Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga from 1996 until 2011, when the hostility of an elite faction made my departure not defiance, but necessity. I honour that journey, and I honour our history. But truth remains truth: no community should mortgage its destiny to the walls of a single political house.

We have walked this road before. When Jaramogi Oginga Odinga left us in 1994, factional storms swept through our politics. For two long years, the Luo stood suspended between rivalry and uncertainty — until 1996, when Jakom Raila Odinga made the strategic decision to chart a new course through NDP. Had that decision come earlier, 1997 may have yielded an even stronger national alignment and greater opportunities for the Luo community.

History whispers wisdom: when a vehicle no longer carries the mission, a people must protect the mission first.

We honour ODM’s place in our history, but our collective destiny calls us to think and organise beyond party labels. Parties are vehicles — not altars of worship. They must follow our strategic direction, not define it. When a party advances the community’s interests, we walk with it. When it hesitates, fragments, or drifts from our path, we must have the courage to rethink our route — calmly, intelligently, and unapologetically.

Loyalty to a party must be tactical. Loyalty to our people must be strategic and eternal.

Our future cannot be anchored in internal rifts, competing elite centres, or alliances driven by personal nostalgia rather than community progress. Our eyes must remain fixed on what truly matters — integration into the decision-making centre of the Republic, access to capital, markets, infrastructure, intergovernmental cooperation, and lasting economic power for our people.

That opportunity exists today — through partnership with H.E. President William Samoei Ruto — not as submission, but as participation; not as spectatorship, but as co-authors of national progress. To reject such an opening in the name of political sentiment would not be loyalty to history — it would be betrayal of the future.

This is not capitulation.

It is strategy, maturity, and courage.

January 2026 must be our moment of clarity — a time for the Luo community to retreat, reflect, and define its direction as a people first, before engaging through any party platform. Let us determine our course as a nation — and then choose political vehicles that serve that course, whether ODM, UDA, or new formations built upon vision rather than emotion.

We honour our past —
but we refuse to be imprisoned by it.

The Luo are not tenants of any party.
We are a people of intellect, enterprise, courage, and destiny.

Let us seek alliances that lift our youth into opportunity, empower our traders with capital, modernise our agriculture, expand our infrastructure, and restore our rightful place at the national table — not through anger, not through isolation, but through strategic presence and principled partnership.

History is moving. Kenya is moving.

And we must move with wisdom, unity, and clarity of purpose.

The future will not wait for factions to settle themselves.

The Luo nation must choose its path — deliberately, bravely, and together.

“The Luo will chart its course, claim its power, and no faction, no party, and no nostalgia will stand in the way.”

The writer is an Advocate of the High Court

Court Halts Move to Oust Homa Bay CEC Member Dr. Peter Ogola

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Wanga

By James Okoth

The Employment and Labour Relations Court in Kisumu has stopped an attempt by Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga to remove the County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Lands, Physical Planning, Housing and Urban Development, Dr Peter Ogola, from office pending a full hearing of his constitutional petition.

Justice Nzioki wa Makau, sitting in Kisumu on 24th December 2025, certified the case as urgent and issued conservatory orders barring the county from removing Dr Ogola from office until the matter is heard inter partes on 19th January 2026.

“Pending the hearing inter partes, there be a conservatory order barring the Respondents from removing the Petitioner from office,” ruled Justice Makau.

Dr Ogola, through his lawyer Clifford Otieno Obiero, filed the petition accusing the Governor, the County Government of Homa Bay and the County Secretary of violating the Constitution by attempting to force him out of office without notice, reasons or a hearing.

In his court papers, Dr Ogola said he was ambushed with an Executive Order dated 1st December 2025 and a letter dated 2nd December 2025, which were delivered to him on 21st December 2025, directing him to hand over office immediately. He termed the move a blatant violation of Articles 41 and 47 of the Constitution, arguing that no allegations of misconduct or incompetence had ever been raised against him.

“The actions by the Respondents constitute a constructive, unlawful and unconstitutional removal from office, in violation of my rights to fair labour practices and fair administrative action,” Dr Ogola stated in his supporting affidavit.

The petition further claims the decision was deliberately timed to coincide with the festive season, with the intent of denying him access to justice.

Mr Obiero, in a certificate of urgency, told the court that unless it intervened, the Respondents would force the Petitioner out of office, appoint a replacement and stop his salary, thereby subjecting him and his dependants to immediate financial distress.

The lawyer emphasised that his client is the sole breadwinner and supports a sick family member who depends on his income for medical care.

“The impugned actions were timed and served on the eve of Christmas with the clear intention of ambushing the Petitioner and defeating timely judicial intervention,” said Mr Obiero.

Dr Ogola, who earns a monthly salary of KSh 413,079, argues that the move to eject him from office was done without following due process, amounting to abuse of executive authority and breach of constitutional values of transparency, accountability and fair administrative action.

In his petition, he seeks declarations that the Executive Order and letter are unconstitutional and an order quashing them, as well as an injunction restraining the county from removing or replacing him without due process.

The court’s interim order effectively preserves the status quo, shielding Dr Ogola from dismissal, salary stoppage or replacement until the next hearing.

The case, filed under Articles 41, 47 and 232 of the Constitution, will now proceed to a full hearing in January 2026, in what is expected to be a landmark test of executive accountability in county governance.

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