Tackling problems in Luo Nyanza

To all the Luo Nyanza people, those at home, in other countries of Africa as well as those spread in the Diaspora all over the world, I salute you all in the name of Nyasach Rabala gi Dwe (God of the Sun and the Moon). It is this one God that gives us the powers to achieve whatever we have achieved, adversities not withstanding.

For sometime now I have observed with great concern the deterioration of the standard of living in Luo Nyanza. This is where majority of us were born, brought up and schooled (partly or in full). After that basic but a very important part of education, a number of us spread our wings, either forced by circumstances or by adventure to seek new horizons. We have ended up carrying our culture of excellent performance in these new horizons. A culture of truth, righteousness and forthrightness.

Undoubtedly our record speaks for itself. Anybody doubting this should check with the various bodies internationally and see for themselves. Though this is not restricted to Luo Nyanza people only as there are a lot many other Kenyans who have achieved great feats in those sectors of the World. My point is; as far as performance is concerned, the Luo has done his/her bit and contributed to development in far flung areas of this world except at original region.

That said, let us then turn to our home base, Nyanza. To speak the truth Nyanza has not moved, development wise, in tandem with the knowledge held by those who were born in this region.

As far as I am concerned, I believe that education brings the knowledge and awareness so that these tools can be used to uplift the social well being of the community around the holder. In other words it is futile or in vain to learn and become a brain surgeon, yet most of the people in your family die as a result of brain complications without you trying to help.

On the same token, it would be in vain becoming a horticulturalist or an Agricultural officer, a veterinary officer when your immediate community perishes because of lack of food or death of their livestock.

How then can we as a people confront the vices which face our people on a daily basis?

You know, lack of this lack of that. No access to this, no access to that and so many other problems. My thinking is that it is possible. We do not even have to rely on the government, (in any case the government has neglected our plight for far too long) to get solutions to the problems in Nyanza.

The very first thing we have to do is to humble ourselves to accept that we are one people all people of Nyanza (If you were born in Nyanza region or have ancestry in Nyanza region, then you must realise that your bloodline goes back to Ramogi. So whether you are from North Nyanza (now Western province), Central or South Nyanza, you are in this to the core. Ramogi is that same great man whose 14 offsprings spread all over around the lake from nothern Uganda to Mwanza and Shirati in Tanzania. The other area covers the "Wanga Kingdom" and the whole of Nyanza.

So how could we be different? We are not! Thoughts and behavior might be, but Blood is the same. So then if we are the same people, "Is it not possible that we can come together and find solutions to our predicaments? The answer is;Yes!. Let each and everyone of us start by reaching out. Reaching out does not mean giving out money. It simply means setting up a forum where all Luo Nyanza people can moot up the best workable Ideas to tackle these problems.

I know we have some of the best brains in the country and the world as well. How then can we tap all that great brains to bring Ideas into the forum, which will help propel the people of Luo Nyanza to the next stage or next face, for at least eradication of poverty, if not development.

It can be done, but it requires the participation of all those great brains. Everyone should come out and give their input irrespective of their background. This is so because all of us have had different experiences while faced with these vices. It is those experiences which will make us find solutions.

Note: Kenya is pregnant with politics of change right now, but even if we are blessed by "Nyakalaga" to receive a new Government of change in the new year, we must realize that these problems will not go away. That very Government will not be able to turn things overnight and stop these vices.

After all, what those new "Kids on the Block" are promising is devolution of power to the regions. Now if this is so then, Luo Nyanza will have to have their own Agendas and prioritize on those agendas. We will have to know what is urgently needed. It will be what we tell the Government to do. If we don't have our own Ideas then, that same government will come to give us roads while what is urgently needed is Water. Alternatively the Government can come in and start giving you electrification, yet what you need is input, to boost food production.

We therefore must have our own Agendas and prioritize on them. Is it schools, Health centers, Fighting HIV by bringing massive awareness, water, roads, Boosting food production, dairy, cattle dips Land management, creating awareness for our culture to be dynamic and in tandem with the contemporary world not yesteryear, or is it improved modern markets that we want. We must know all these and which one we want dealt with first.

With that I leave you with this teaching from the Great Budha. Please read down here.

Onyiego Jairus

In this world, in order to enable society to develop, all its members have to assume responsibilites and make their contribution. If we do not make collective contributions then there will be no development