By Anderson Ojwang
The oldest surviving grandchild to the legendary Gor Ogalo Mahia has died aged 107 in Kanjira, Rachuonyo West sub-county of Homa Bay County.
Gor Mahia was a respected seer, medicine and chief in Kanyamwa and was revered by the Luo community and from his name, Kenya’s top club Gor Mahia Football Club draws its name.
The late Truphosa Nyangaya Okeche died on January 5th 2025, hot on the heels of the demise of her great-granddaughter Fiona Neraah Amayo on 31st December 2024, who was a second-year student at Masinde Muliro University.
Fiona was the daughter of the late Jack Sawo, who was formerly one of the drivers to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and later personal Assistant to Kisumu Women Representative Ruth Odinga.
According to the grandson Jack Okeche, Nyangaya was born on 23rd June 1918, in Gem of Rangwe constituency, to the first area chief the late Okello Ager, who became the area chief in 1920.
Okelo married Gor’s daughter Omusi and was blessed with nine children. While Gor had eleven wives who bore him 10 sons, just as history would have it, Truphosa was married at the tender age of 14 years but went back to school to study as was required by the Catholic church for 10 years before she could give birth.
Her marriage negotiations for Truphosa were led by the legendary Ojijo wuon Oteko, Lie imbo. Elly Daniel Ojijo Oteko was an African freedom fighter who fought for human and economic rights during the colonial era. He was born in 1894 and died in 1944 under mysterious circumstances. Oteko used education as his weapon against oppression and named his homestead “America“.
The club was formally established on 17 February 1968 as a merger of Luo Union and Luo Sports Club and won the national league at the first time of asking. Some of its original leaders were politicians the late Tom Joseph Mboya and the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
However, the club was founded much earlier, in 1915, and participated intermittently in local tournaments in Western Kenya. Various groups used this name at different times. Gor Mahia Football Club have won the Kenyan Premier League for a record 21 times, and have also won the FKF President’s Cup a record a record 11 times.
It is the first and only team from Kenya to win an African continental title to date, having won the African Cup Winners in 1987 after previously reaching the final in 1979.
Interestingly, the Gor Mahia team always pays homage to the Gor shrine in Kanyamwala in Ndhiwa of Homa Bay county.
Chairman of the Luo Council of Elders, Ker Odunga Randa said the death of the only surviving grandchild to the legend was sad and a big loss to the community.
Odungi said they have visited Gor’s home with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on various accounts and the family remains important history of the community.
“Gor’s name has been a unifying factor to the community and I call upon the community leaders and members to support the family at this trying moment.” Oketche appealed to the government and leaders to support the burial arrangement for Gor’s granddaughter to get a befitting send-off.
