The Dawn for Luos
It's about time. The Luo Peoples, are at last in real power. In Kenya, in the Sudan - where Luos are said to have originated from; and now in America. It has taken years, and in Africa - many have died for the Luos to realize their dream and reach where they are now.
Luos, wherever they have lived, have always struggled to reach the top in education; it's in their blood and it's the way they are. They love learning and they love politics. And it's in politics where they have most, left their mark. Many times, their passion for politics has cost them enormously; as in the case of Kenya where several Luo leaders have been either assassinated - Tom Mboya and Robert Ouko being the most prominent; or brutally suppressed - like Oginga Odinga, Raila Odinga and James Orengo. In the Sudan, millions have died for the struggle in the South. In Uganda, Apolo Obote and the Luos in the North - in the sixties, early seventies and early eighties - had the political and military clout there; and now, they are fighting, lead by Joseph Kony - who is waging a bloody and brutal war, to regain that power which they lost to Yoweri Museveni and his people from the South West of Uganda.
Due to their being so involved in politics, the cost for the Luo people - in Kenya, Uganda and the Sudan - has been rather too high. Kenyan Luos, though the third largest ethnic group, have found themselves marginalized and at times suppressed; in Uganda, due to Obote's legacy, the Luos there - the Acholis and Langis in particular - have never had peace for a very long time now, and hundreds of thousands of their people have lost their lives; in the Sudan, the Luos who have been at the fore, for the struggle for the South, have lost millions of their people and have been very badly, economically, affected.
But now, at last, the Luos have power; the people of South Sudan have, now, autonomy and are slowly emerging from years of wars; and are putting their lives back to normal and building the South. Two of those who have that real power, won through the ballot box: that is, Raila Odinga and Barack Obama. Though, efter the elections and the votes being cast early this year, Mr. Odinga, after many lives were lost and after Kenya nearly had a civil war, had to share that power and get only a part of it - when most observers believe he rightly won. As for Mr. Obama, no words can fairly describe what he has achieved; against all odds, incredibly and miraculously, Mr. Obama is now going to be the leader of the most militarily, economically and technologically most advanced and most powerful country in the World. Ironically, amazingly and incredibly, a Kenyan Luo is becoming a president, first, not in Kenya but in the US.
Most people in Kenya believe that Raila Odinga is 'smart', 'wise', 'practical' and if given the chance - is the best person to lead Kenya forward and catapult it to a developed leading economy. And Barack Obama, is now being described as 'smart', 'wise', 'a sage', 'a saint' and 'a prophet'; many are predicting that he will become one of the best and greatest presidents the US has ever had. Only time will tell, if Luos, by realizing their dreams - can change their lives and if their leaders, especially Odinga and Obama, can improve and change the lives of their constituencies. As for Obama, he now has the great chance of not only improving and changing America; he now too, by coming up with good, noble policies on: the economy, climate change, world peace, international relations and how his country uses its great might - he can change the World and make us, even those in the remotest corners of the Earth, have better lives and much more peace; and ha can make the Earth much cleaner and secure.
Luos, wherever they have lived, have always struggled to reach the top in education; it's in their blood and it's the way they are. They love learning and they love politics. And it's in politics where they have most, left their mark. Many times, their passion for politics has cost them enormously; as in the case of Kenya where several Luo leaders have been either assassinated - Tom Mboya and Robert Ouko being the most prominent; or brutally suppressed - like Oginga Odinga, Raila Odinga and James Orengo. In the Sudan, millions have died for the struggle in the South. In Uganda, Apolo Obote and the Luos in the North - in the sixties, early seventies and early eighties - had the political and military clout there; and now, they are fighting, lead by Joseph Kony - who is waging a bloody and brutal war, to regain that power which they lost to Yoweri Museveni and his people from the South West of Uganda.
Due to their being so involved in politics, the cost for the Luo people - in Kenya, Uganda and the Sudan - has been rather too high. Kenyan Luos, though the third largest ethnic group, have found themselves marginalized and at times suppressed; in Uganda, due to Obote's legacy, the Luos there - the Acholis and Langis in particular - have never had peace for a very long time now, and hundreds of thousands of their people have lost their lives; in the Sudan, the Luos who have been at the fore, for the struggle for the South, have lost millions of their people and have been very badly, economically, affected.
But now, at last, the Luos have power; the people of South Sudan have, now, autonomy and are slowly emerging from years of wars; and are putting their lives back to normal and building the South. Two of those who have that real power, won through the ballot box: that is, Raila Odinga and Barack Obama. Though, efter the elections and the votes being cast early this year, Mr. Odinga, after many lives were lost and after Kenya nearly had a civil war, had to share that power and get only a part of it - when most observers believe he rightly won. As for Mr. Obama, no words can fairly describe what he has achieved; against all odds, incredibly and miraculously, Mr. Obama is now going to be the leader of the most militarily, economically and technologically most advanced and most powerful country in the World. Ironically, amazingly and incredibly, a Kenyan Luo is becoming a president, first, not in Kenya but in the US.
Most people in Kenya believe that Raila Odinga is 'smart', 'wise', 'practical' and if given the chance - is the best person to lead Kenya forward and catapult it to a developed leading economy. And Barack Obama, is now being described as 'smart', 'wise', 'a sage', 'a saint' and 'a prophet'; many are predicting that he will become one of the best and greatest presidents the US has ever had. Only time will tell, if Luos, by realizing their dreams - can change their lives and if their leaders, especially Odinga and Obama, can improve and change the lives of their constituencies. As for Obama, he now has the great chance of not only improving and changing America; he now too, by coming up with good, noble policies on: the economy, climate change, world peace, international relations and how his country uses its great might - he can change the World and make us, even those in the remotest corners of the Earth, have better lives and much more peace; and ha can make the Earth much cleaner and secure.
