RAILA’S ALLY CALLS FOR MAJIMBO

  BY SHEM KOSSE,
  KISUMU BASED FREELANCE JOURNALIST,
  Email:kosseeke@yahoo.com
  mobile:0723103445/0733380116

Long-term political ally of the luo political kingpin, Hon Raila Amollo Odinga, has challenged the luo community to push for federal system of government, through the Langata legislator.

Rev Okoth Otura who was instrumental during the struggle and subsequent introduction of multiparty politics in Kenya, said that its crystal clear that there is a well orchestrated broader scheme across the political divide to bar luos via Raila from gunning for the highest office in the land, presidency.

And therefore the best option for the Luos is to pressurize for the creation of majimbo system in the on going efforts by the politicians and other stakeholders to have minimum constitutional review in place, ahead of the forthcoming polls, later this year.

For this, will make them have both their own state and control over their own affairs. This he noted will go along way to develop the perennially undeveloped regions like the Luo Nyanza since each state will capitalize on and maximize the usage of the resources at their disposal.

Speaking to this journalist on phone, Otura who is also the chairman of the Christian Democratic Movement, Kenyan chapter and currently based in Canada, nostalgically recalled how Luo’s have been historically fair and just players in the Kenyan politics since the attainment of Independence.

And they have been mercilessly shortchanged by successive regimes through the imbalanced distribution of government resources, tribalisation of key positions and marginalizing opposition zones in terms of development, among other ills.

Proposing the Luo Jimbo to be known as Winam State the clergy justified that the system is all inclusive and accommodative with all the ethnic communities and investors, being tolerated as long as they pay taxes to their respective states for regional development, with the certain percentage as share being remitted to the central government, the national watch dog.

Quoting the last bitter words of the late fire brand politician, Oginga Odinga Majimbo ema nokonywa kuom joka bimbe (its only majimbo that will one day rescue us from baboon-like tribe), the federalist cited Switzerland which is the size of Nyanza province, which pushed and successfully embraced federalism, with 4 major jimbos, cultures and languages: French-Geneva (western region), German-Zurich (eastern region), ltalian-Lugano (southern region) and Romansh-St Moriz (south eastern region).

Switzerland gave regional cantons that govern their resources and maintain their identities. The status quo of the Luos is akin to the Switzerland of the yesteryears when they were subjected to unitary government, which made them go full throttle for Majimboism, inorder to develop, said Otura.

Its worth noting that Quebecois in Canada too demanded their recognition as a nation within Canada, maintaining their languages and culture. So are South Africa’s provincial government and its 11 official languages.

The charismatic and outspoken clergy tasked Raila to cash in on his massive political influence and privilege that the luos and other change-minded Kenyans have trusted on him to push for realization of majimbo system or risk leaving Luos to languish in total desperation than ever before, read where Jaramogi left them.

Meanwhile he lauded the recent move by a cross section of the coast Mps to defect to Shirikisho Party to form a formidable and dynamic political force for the coastal region people, terming it as the right direction towards attaining majimboism, which the CDM-K as a global movement is advocating for.