SIX decades after Kenya attained independence, the Luo community, one of the major players in the struggle finally broke a jinx to occupy the three coveted state jobs in the country.
It’s been presumed by a section of the community, that the three plum and sensitive seats were reserved for some communities and a no get zone for the Lake region.
The three top and sensitive positions have remained a mirage and elusive to the community despite the competence and qualification by residents from the lake side.
The three offices namely : the Commander of Defense Forces (CDF), the Attorney General and Cabinet secretary for Treasury have never been occupied by any community member for the last 60 years.
But President William Ruto broke the six decade jinx that had prevented the Luo community from assuming the top seats and relegated them to watchers in the power and economic matrix in the country.
The Kenya’s unsung military hero retired Major General Daniel Ishmael Opande could have been the first member of the community to land the post but as fate would have it, Opande was seconded to peace mission and the dream was never actualized.
Former Nyakach MP Pollyns Ochieng Daima said the ascension of the community sons and daughter to the top seats was a milestone and opens the community to occupying the only remaining post of presidency.
“President Ruto has removed all the road blocks that denied the community daughters and sons from occupying the three-aorta of the government. Finally, the jinx has been broken and nothing stops any son and daughter of the community from ascending to presidency,’ he said.
But the appointment of the former CDF the late Francis Ogola was not without share of drama and intrigues that nearly denied him the seat.
Prior to his appointment, President Ruto said he had been prevailed upon against appointing Ogola as a CDF for allegedly being part of the team that had gone to Bomas of Kenya to overturn his victory.
“ I had 10 people who qualified for the post. But I acted consciously that since independence nobody from Nyanza had been CDF. Why make a whole community think they cannot occupy certain positions and offices in the government? I took a sensitive and deliberate approach to the appointments,” he said.
President Ruto said he was proud to have appointed Ogola to the seat and was happy to have broken the jinx and barriers in the community path.
Similarly, President Ruto appointed ODM national chairman John Mbadi to the post of Cabinet Secretary of Treasury against opposition from some quarters.
Sources intimated to Western Insight Newspaper that President Ruto stood his gun that he had preserved the Treasury’s seat for Nyanza.
In the recent government re-organization, Nyanza finally bagged the post of Attorney General office through Dorcas Oduor.
Consultant Dr Otieno Obondi said the coveted state seats have remained a mirage and a pipe dream to the community for over 60 years.
Presidential Ruto’s appointments have erased decades of belief by the community over alleged discrimination and marginalization by the subsequent governments.
“This is a positive node in the right direction. Luo can now feel part of the government and country . No position is reserved for any particular community and this is the best way to heal the nation,” he said.
