Reply to Orina Nyamwamu on A case for Regionalism

On 07/03/2007, the above writer wrote a very rude and insulting comment directed at Rev Otura on the case for Majimboism or Regionalism. From the onset, I say without fear that I support Regionalism.

1. To start with if Rev Otura is campaigning about Luo Regionalism and/or secession and given that you have said you are NOT a Luo, then how does that affect you? It simply means you have excluded yourself from being party to the case. You therefore have no right to call his vision of Regionalism as nonsense.

2. If other tribes are also poor; is that a logical argument to stop Rev Otura, a Luo, from campaigning to end poverty among his Luo people? Does it mean no intervention measures are needed to redress the situation? What logic is that? I pity your students.

3. You claim there is no such thing as a common Luo economic and Political interest and those with views to the contrary “are down right unintelligent”, to quote you. Is that your definition of intelligence?

4. You assert it is “obtuse” to claim there is a tribe called Luo’s; are you serious? What do you understand by the word tribe? Of course we know the origin of the word tribe and it is given below.

5. You say because some of us are in Diaspora, we have lost our right to speak about burning issues back home. Are you teaching at Homa Bay High School as a volunteer or is it to earn a living? So you think because you teach at Homa Bay High School, that makes you more equal than others?

6. You call the arguments for Regionalism cheap and unfounded. Do you mean to say those who proposed it at Lancaster House Conference, and those who embrace it in United Kingdom , USA, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, etc, are stupid but you are the clever one?

7. The fact that there are some good natured Kikuyus’, Who don’t agree with what Kibaki and his ilk are doing, does that in itself negate the fact that many of leaders originating from Kikuyuland have acted in the most devilish way to ruin Kenya’s experiment with Nation State soon after independence to date? Has it changed the fact they only vote for one of their own as attested to by 1992 Presidential elections, 2002 Presidential elections, and the recent Referendum?

8. You think the struggle in Kenya is for those now within its borders only and anybody else who is currently outside has no right to be heard irrespective whether or not he is a Kenyan Citizen? Are you now disenfranchising them? Is that in itself a logical argument in your mind?

Let us get back to basics.

TRIBE: This word comes from Greek, and is a combination of *tri- and *bhu-, and developed from Pre-state times, i.e., before the Greek Empire. It is the first social system human beings ever lived in, and divides human society into small, roughly independent subgroups, with a shared sense of identity and kinship; possessing a strong cultural or ethnic identity that separates one tribe from the other. It helps keep individuals committed to the group; even when personal relations may fall apart, preventing them from wandering off. Ethnocentricity gives individuals a higher survival rate. Groups with a strong sense of unity and identity can benefit from kin selection behavior. It helps members unite against an outside tribe or enemy and gives it the ability to act prejudicially against an outside threat, hence boosting her chances to survive genocidal conflicts, or deter potential enemies.

Does this answer your question whether or not Luos, and for that matter your community, are a Tribe?

When Kenyatta was President, a group of Leaders from Kisii went to see him seeking a separate province from Nyanza on account Luos were anti- Kenyatta and they did not want to be associated with them. The trend was continued during Moi’s time, which made his government dish out Land and property in Nyanza to people like Nyachae and an Onyancha, in Kisumu. You don’t think taking back control of our resources should be a priority for us?

You don’t see how control of resources in an area can economically empower a people from the area?

Nationalism in its present form is a Marxist ideology which was meant to cement relations between various East European tribes and nationalities together under Communist rule, against Western capitalism. With the fall of Berlin wall, these states have reclaimed their independence: Estonia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Poland etc.

What makes Kenya a Nation? We have no shared history, no shared cultural practices, no shared ideology, no shared national dish, no shared national dress, no shared language, no shared music, no shared memorable wars, no shared values, no shared national heroes, no shared national sport, no shared literature; no shared national folklore, no shared national mythology, no shared instincts, no shared philosophy and no shared art.

What do we share in common as a Nation? Even geographically we are distinct, separated by the physical barriers of the Rift Valley.

Nations should be at least ethnic groups, as a social reality dating back thousands of years. Until after 1800 there were no such things as distinct Nations. The National identity and unity we have now, was imposed from above, by Europeans Colonialist, as a means of Territorial control and administration. The British did this for Kenya, because of conquest.

What would the Kikuyus’ be doing it for? Have they also conquered the others?

Today’s nationalism and tribal conflicts, the World over, are an unintended side effect of bringing together people who are inhomogeneous. Nationalism for Kenya is only being promoted by its adherents in order to assure sufficient tax revenues, hegemony, personal interests, self-aggrandizements, hero hunting, self recognition, misunderstanding of the meaning of Pan-Africanism as distinct from hero worshipping. It is for those who want enough to loot, it is top down, and NOT bottom up process. It is to boost individuals promoting it for self-gain and recognition within their communities and beyond.

I don’t see how Kenyatta’s nationalism or Moi’s and Kibaki’s; has helped ordinary Kenyans outside their tribes. If anything, Oyugi is dead, Ouko is dead, Mboya is dead, JM Kariuki is dead, Odhiambo Mbai is dead, Ronald Ngala is dead; and so many others; simply because the so called nationalists want to perpetuate their rule and become gentries, warlords, and Black Dukes. They are the Lords Delameres’, Cecil Rhodes, of the latter day.

Kenyan Nation is a socially constructed phenomenon of imagined communities; it does not awaken self-consciousness. It is simply invented where it does not exist.

The call for Regionalism therefore, is a call to re-constitute Kenya, redraw its internal State boundaries, deal with governance, empower the people, accelerate the pace of development, bring administration closer to the people, let the people own their government, let the people police themselves and NOT some young DO, DC and PC, lecturing Elders on how to live together, integrate local customs into the legal system. It is to deal with skewed development and allocation of resources of over 40 years since Kenya became independent, involve locals into Regional Planning for matters affecting them, whether Roads, Rail, Water, power supply, food security etc. It is NOT lack of intelligence or Stupidity as you claim.

John Okumu
London
08/03/2007

YOUR LUO REGIONALISM CAMPAIGN , Orina Nyamwamu