I now have spare time here in the USA to read how two Luo men in Sweden are making a monkey out of themselves by narrowly emphasizing ‘Luoism’ as if somebody is out to rob them of it. One is Otieno Odera, almost 50 years old from what I gathered during his US visit 2 years ago, and the other is Brayo Arwa, in his early 20s from records on his Hellengate saga at KSB.
Arwa, who is young and should bring change by thinking as a Kenyan, has narrowed his perspective down to thinking like a Luo. (Remember the word is PERSPECTIVE, not your tribe LUO, but the way you think as a Luo: your worldview/outside the box.) There is nothing wrong with being a Luo. However, it is when that Luoism in one is used to degrade other tribes that it awakens elements of tribalism.
Arwa suggests that Maina Mwangi is a product of Kenya’s failed leadership. So is he a product of a successful Kenyan leadership? What is he doing in Sweden talking of being a Young Turk, yet he is equally old-fashioned in his perspective of being a Kenyan? Obama is an American and he will never add extra ugali in the sufurias of these two activists of Luoism.
Despite their generational gap, the two men share similar parochial views. The young Arwa is borrowing a leaf from old boy Odera: How to be a chest-thumping, bragadocious Luo. Odera claims Dholuo is the language of Pharaohs (LOL).
Arwa has pasted his grandfather’s photo at KSB purporting that he was a relative of Obama senior. Meanwhile, he cannot determine how they were related: cousins or whatever. This is not only cheap name-dropping, but also a sign that Arwa suffers from an identity crisis, looking for recognition. To both of them I say: “The European Alaska (read cold Scandinavia) is taking a toll on your reasoning levels, so calm down.”
Osewe opened up the comments section and wrote a wonderful statement on Obama. However, instead of these two Luo men engaging in meaningful responses relevant to the story, they have decided to expose their tribal bigotry. Anybody reading their comments understands why they have derailed and don’t measure up to the occasion. They are a laughing stock here in the US-Luo community: displaying ushamba instead of writing celebratory notes on Obama. With a mind like Arwa’s, I see no reason why the old politicians should leave the Kenyan scene because he thinks like them.
Odera and Arwa are both against Maina Mwangi who has continually remained civil and has not written a single word about his tribe, repeating that he would never use it (tribe) to debase them.
After a thorough beating from Maina Mwangi (and it is clear from records), they are weakly defending themselves that they are not bigots. You notice that they do not pick on Osewe who told Odera from the start not to use a language not understood by non-Luos. I think this is because Osewe “belongs to them”, while Maina is a member of the supposed community that they have “blocked”. Maina is not the reason why Kenya is underdeveloped. Arwa so naively claims that they have “blocked” those who are messing up the economy of Kenya.
As far as I know, since they began their noise-making at KSB, nothing has changed in the Kenyan economic landscape in favor of their likes. Kenyan Luos are still 67% poorer than other tribes. So whom have they blocked?
Odera has now gone philosophical thinking that by promoting Luoism he will get wiser. He is not grounded and has no idealogical framework to discuss anything Luo. I believe he has not read Paul Mboya or Ochola Ayayo, otherwise he would be showcasing his thinking maturely.
At the end of it all, I can see why so many Luos like Odera and Arwa have a long way to go before becoming progressive.
Omondi Okoko
KSB Reader
About the Author
Are the above named people under attack from AMERICA or are they under attack from OMONDI OKOKO????
THIS MAY SOUND FOOLISH BUT MY MAIN BONE OF CONTENTION IS PATRIOTISM AND SELF-IDENTITY….I LIVE IN EUROPE BUT WHEN SOMEONE ASKS ME WHERE I COME FROM,I MENTION MY RURAL HOME BACK IN AFRICA…THIS STORY OF I AM SO AND SO FROM AMERICA,SWEDEN,AUSTRALIA AND SOMEONE IS AS BLACK AS I AM,JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW DISCONNECTED WE ARE FROM REALITY…IRRESPECTIVE OF WHAT PASSPORT WE HOLD,WE WILL ALWAYS BE AFRICANS…GENETICALLY..EVEN IF PSYCHOLOGICALLY SOME OF US HAVE CHOSEN TO “GRASP ON THIN AIR UNDER HALLUCINATION”…MTU AKIFARIKA,KWA REDIO UNASKIA,FULANI FULANI WA U.S.A…FULANI FULANI WA CANADA…FULANI FULANI WA BRITAIN..AND YET IN THE END TUTASAFIRISHWA HADI AFRICA…SHAGZ…LETS BE REAL LIKE BARACK OBAMA..LETS BE PROUD OF OUR ROOTS…OUR IDENTITY…LETS CALL A SPADE A SPADE AND NOT A BIG SPOON….
NB:I AM NOT COMMENTING ON THIS BRAYO,ODERA,OKOKO SAGA…MY POINT IS ON PATRIOTISM…BRAYO,ODERA AND OKOKO WILL SORT THEMSELVES OUT…THEY ALL SEEM LIKE INTELLIGENT PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIFFERED ON IDEOLOGY OR PERSONAL IDEALOGICAL PRINCIPLES…I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE IF MY VIEWS SHOULD OFFEND ANYONE..I CALL FOR THE UNITY OF KENYANS,AFRICANS AND THE WORLD….IN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA..
KSB Comment:
I encourage the use of lower cases. Thank you.
Bwana, Omondi Okoko, your descriptive critic of the two “bogots” cannot be over emphasised, needless to say that maybe..they had it coming.One thing i fail to understand is why you had to cross a few lines to “blast” or rather to criticize these two men without resevations?, i realise afteer reading between your lines, one of the two men is well known to you, either from your visits here in Sweden or USA visit from one of them, resulting to you having a not so good interlectual confrontations with one of them and that might have been a bitter pill to swallow.
I think you are a no nonsence fellow who means well and but you really did personalise the issue…a bit.Bigotry makes the the world go round,wars and suffering,it has many names but who cares!!!If you reas the books of paul mboya Ochola Ayako and other luo scholars(writers), they thave use asymetric expressions to bring out the fine lines on bigotry that are much more worse that the two men you have criticized.
Hello Omondi .
I do appreciate tha fact that lhave kind of spurred you into doing some thinking .Whats striking isthat you seem lost in the concept of my discourse.So syle up and get real “Wangni o’nge ringo helu helu,wuog uru e pap ute
Thats me. So what ever you are attemptimting to depict does not make a difference to the subject matter of my disposition.At least you did some reading for once ,but what strikes me is that you may be suffering from psuedo american poverty of philosophy.When l write language of Pharoahs its means languge of Joka Ruoth .I hope we meet and take this to a higher plane ,welcome to Sweden
Ean Odera
Below is Otieno Odera’s very first response to Maina Mwangi. KSB readers can read and judge for themselves if he is not demeaning Mwangi because he does not understand Dholuo. Obama’s win got into Odera’s head and instead of meaning good, he used “coded language” to spite the Kikuyu community through Mwangi.
Hello Maina Mwangi ,
I have no apologies if you do not understand the language of Pharaohs.Call me a “tribalist” am not .I am a Luo and proud to be one.So if you do not get it ,what l stated ,was that “this time around ,we blocked you guys”Thats themea meaning of “wang ni wa dino nu” Try another language for size
Comment by Otieno Odera | November 8, 2008
Hello Omondi ,
I wish not to take this silly spat any further.Just be proud of your roots and get moving on with whats important in your life.By desperately attemting to raise issues that have no substance,you in effect displaying what is in you .Be proud as Kenyan Luo.That does not mean that you look down ,or think that Luos are superior,its accepting ones self without reservations or apology.So for me this issue is of no interlectual stimulation any more .l take this as my last word.Others may do as they feel .Its a free speech world.For informations sake l have read “nearly” all historical books ,seminal papers from noted Luo historians .So take a step back and be in your league.Do something for your folks back in the state you are in U.S.A
Ean Odera
NYANI HAONI KUNDULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tony Odera,
You are simply an empty suit. I don’t know you, but my analysis as a KSB reader is based on what you have contributed under Osewe’s topic named: “KSB Statement Following President Obama’s Election”. The records are clear that you despised Maina Mwangi simply because his name was different. Remember my first response to you and Brayo:
“What’s wrong with you two Luo men called Otieno Odera and Brayo Arwa? I have been following your discussions with Maina Mwangi and as a fellow Luo in the US, I kindly ask you to tone down because you are giving us a bad name. Why do you have to write things that don’t represent the collective thinking of our community?
You claim “Wang’ni wadinonu”–Whom have you blocked and from what? If Obama’s win has gotten into your heads so you can now blast Mwangi because of his name, then you are totally wrong. Luos have so many problems that we in the Diaspora can debate upon instead of being petty.
I like reading info at KSB and thank Osewe for the comments space, so please stop discussing things that won’t add extra ‘ugali’ on your plates. The ‘pesa nane’ Luo type of bragging “sijui nimesoma English” etc. has never taken us anywhere. Kenya is in a healing mood trying to overcome recent tribal tensions, so please discuss more beneficial things.”
Comment by Omondi Okoko | November 10, 2008
If you cannot logically defend what you wrote, other than repeat that one should stand up and be a proud Luo, then you have no grounds to defend “LUOISM”. From your response, you are clearly not familiar with the thinking of great Luo scholars. Luo pride does not mean being spiteful but showing might through action. Yours is that of an old-fashioned, chest-thumping arrogant man desperate to be heard; it won’t take you anywhere. President-elect Obama’s humility, persuasiveness and sense of organization, don’t resonate with your hateful responses.
Your thoughts are yours and don’t represent the Luo community at large. My appeal to you is: “stop despising the Kikuyu community using “coded language” as you have done in the case of Maina Mwagi.”
I am a proud Luo but will NEVER shout about it on rooftops. If you have an agenda to “block” another community, then lay it bear instead of using KSB to promote your parochial views. Tribal tensions do cause discomfort among Kenyans everywhere and as we continue the national healing process, we should not use KSB to demean other tribes. Even President-elect Obama has now called and talked to President Kibaki, meaning that he holds no grudge on the negative government response he received after his speech on corruption when he visited Kenya in 2006.
Tony Odera, be a good example of the Luo community and stop being arrogant with hateful words on another community. Why don’t you use Osewe’s opening of the comments section to elaborately preach your freedom(s) of speech for the benefit of other Luos and Kenyans, instead of being so angry and spiteful behind your computer? You tell me to do something beneficial to my people here in the US. What are you doing to benefit the Kenyans there in Sweden? Preaching tribalism? Stick to the topic which is your “tribal prejudice” vividly portrayed in the case of Maina Mwangi.
You keep using the term “American poverty of philosophy” and you send me rolling with laughter, because some of the best philosophers in the world have been and still are, Americans. This confirms your narrow worldview. If you talked about “Bushism” we could get there, because his actions (Bush) have been challenged. From your way of thinking here at KSB, you are simply not grounded (if you catch my drift). You are a “five-liner” maximum “ten-liner man” juggling with concepts but not expounding them.
If you think that by Obama’s election you have “blocked” another Kenyan community, then you are heading nowhere. Think twice because Obama is an American first and will only use his foreign policy to shape Kenya and the rest of the world second. Kenya’s next elections will take place in 2012, so there is a long way to go before you “block” that community. What happened in America’s recent election was internal and your “blocked” community had nothing to do with it. By purporting that the results meant that this time a certain community has been “blocked”, you are just showing your ignorance.
Don’t be emotional otherwise you will continue misstepping. Stick within the discussion based on your own words to Maina Mwangi. I could write a whole book about your bigotry exposed at KSB.
Hello Omondi ,
Though l wrote that l would comment any further.what you wrote thereafter ,made stop and reconsider my position.So l have replied ,to attempt to make you see and understand simple sense “five liners”
I will not however lower myself by addressing issues which ,you have raised by ,narrowly interpreting a simple statement from metha is used in the public square.
If you notice ,its you who is imputing improper motive into a statement as general as “wang’ni wadino nu”It is you who frothing negative energy, defending concerns that have not been raised in my comments.
I take this momment to let you into what l meant .I will also attempt to make it simple so that you understand it better.
It is that with elections of progressive forces ,we have blocked those who are against developement.Commenting on your lack of comparative analytical thinking about what you call”five liners “will not help,but just stoke your bruised ego .So brother, lets have some sensible and level headed exchanges instead of calling those who have not met or shared any common public,or private pholosophical nor interlectual discussions “bigots” and “empty suits” ,in my opinion do no justice to The Luo and his respect for others.
When you keep on harping that l meant to insult or belittle other citizens of Kenya ,shows and reads that you are in your self so blind to the truth about community pride .On the other hand whats wrong with being proud of one’s own heritage ,look around you,in the business world ,or the cultural sphere and other forms of human interactions,be they wars or mediating peace ,whats comes to light is a peoples pride in either products or thier victories.If you cannot expand on this response ,with some decorum then its my hope that you try shed some Luo pride
As l said in the beginning of this reply to you Wuod Luo ,l will not bring myself to your “empty siut “kind of topical debates.
Am a Luo who is proud and respects others ,l do not see matters the way you seem obsessed that there is a hidden meaning to the “five liners”.Get real.I bet its simple enough omera.
Ean Wuod Luo
Otieno Odera
Hello Omondi,
A little thing skipped my latest comment.If you feel like delving into my other “five liner” “psuedo- american poverty of philosophy”you are welcome ,’cause you also read the wrong import of the phrase.I am not talking philosphy per-se.Like you wrote,”get the drift “,well get it .Some other time
Ean Wuod Luo
Otieno Odera
Tony Odera,
I see that you have retracted your call for a final take and once again indulged in denials. One does not have to meet you to understand your skewed thoughts against Maina Mwangi’s community. I am not creating what is not available as you keep repeating. The matter is out in the open and subject to discussion by anyone. Your so-called progressive forces had nothing to do with Maina and I have stated that many times.
Any progressive Luo does not have to narrow his/her perspective of Obama’s win to mean “blocking” another community. This is old-fashioned and unprogressive, in the spirit of celebrating President-elect Obama’s win. Your words will remain in the annals of KSB for any reader to scrutinize and understand your prejudice.
Hello Omondi,
So as to ´give the last word ,l take you to task by daring you to fulfil your ambition .To quote you “write a whole book about your bigotry exposed by KSB “So Wuod Nam it would be a pleasure to read about myself.
Ean Wuod Luo
Otieno Odera
Tony Odera,
“I could”, means I may revisit this whenever I want. So far I have used you as an example to expose those with skewed tribal thoughts like yours.
I couldn’t help but feel sorry watching the current KSB picture Moment 114 of young Brian Arwa, who is a product of Makini School in Nairobi; one of the most expensive and best schools in Kenya.
Brian is good with cultural connections and promotes everything African. But honestly, he should do more by making use of his solid foundation in basic education which seems to have been eroded since he joined the usual social suspects in Kenya-Stockholm circles. He should step up to the plate and make use of the free education in Sweden because he has the potential.
individual actions or ideas donot represent a whole community’s way of thinking, that is old prejudice that modern thinking citizens should discard. e.g the fact that the elections in kenya went wrong and an individual was sworn in dubiously does not mean that the tribe he belongs to thinks and behaves like that. let us judge individuals not heir tribes. judge hitler not his tribe, judge osama not his tribe, threfore judge raila, obama, kibaki and moi and not their tribes. food for thought.
Tony, I really admire you, you have something in you which most of the guys can never have and that is why they hit you from all sides. Mwafrika na wivu, that is all. Keep it up Tony Odera, let the loosers keep on dreaming.
Juliet mention one admirable thing about Tony Odera, just one so that we can believe he is an asset among Kenyans.I can write 30 turnoffs about Tony.
Manzi, can you tell kenyans what asset you are among kenyans apart from eating Tony alive? pls mind your own business and leave Tony alone. To hell with your 30 turnoffs about Tony. dont you have something better to do instead of eating Tony alive. Idler and looser, leave Tony alone, he cares less about you and he is not bothered by other peoples business. Tony brother, tuko na wewe, wacha loosers wameze wembe.