There is no doubt that the Luo community in Kenya has for a long time had a say in the Political landscape of Kenya. This is a community that despite having not produced a President, continues to make headlines mainly because of it’s political enigma Raila Odinga.
Well, many people feel that Raila has for long misled the Luo community and it is because of him that the community has spent many years always in the opposition.
Even at that Raila remains a key figure in the region and continues to enjoy massive support from the locals.
Away from Raila, a video of Deputy President William Ruto making remarks allegedly directed to the Luo Nation surfaced online and with it came great criticism of the DP with a section of leaders from Luo Nyanza accusing him of Ethnic profiling.
Ruto would later claim that his sentiments were blown out of context but this was too late as the damage had already been done.
So apart from uprooting the rail theories, Why would Ruto hate the Luo’s?
Well, Wahome Thuku had this to Say.
“It’s true, the Luo can be destructive when angry. I say the Luo to mean the few representing everyone else.
And the Luo can be very consistent, when pressing for a course, especially if instructed by Raila Odinga and when it needs violent energy. The thing is that it’s a gang of them who do the action while the others give moral support. And yes, when the Luo are on your side pushing for a political agenda, be sure you will win.
FACT: The Luo backed the Gikuyu and brought down Mbeberu.
FACT: The Luo almost brought down Jomo Kenyatta.
FACT: The Luo almost brought Moi down in 1982.
FACT: The Luo backed Kikuyu to end single party rule in 1990.
FaCT: The Luo backed Kikuyu to kick out Kanu.
FACT: The Luo almost sent Kibaki home, or actually did.
FACT: The Luo backed Kikuyu to pass new Constitution.
And I can go on and on.
IN their violent nature the Luo are very spontaneous. The act at the heat of the moment. They uproot the railway line in sudden anger and can do even more destruction if unchecked. But they act for that day and end it there to fight another day.
The Luo can never sit and plan secret attacks and murders and destruction. They are not the kind of community that will hold secret night meetings, take oath and plot to attack and kill women and children, ambush homestead at night and burn them to ashes.
They don’t carry that kind of malice and hatred, they act politically not tribally. They don’t hold grudges dating back decades against innocent people. How many people did the Luo kill in 2007 PEV? That is what I mean.
The Luo are just politically violent, not tribally militia. They are proud I must say. They don’t retreat to forests to form worrior gangs painted white on faces and arming themselves for genocides. Even during the fight for independence when Mau Mau were in the forest, the Luo we’re fighting at the negotiation table.
You may dispute this, just read the Waki and Akiwumi reports to see how these things happened in 19902 and 2007.”