Someone is misleading Ruto about Raila’s genealogy and acceptability in Luhya land. Raila comes from the Sakwa clan of Siaya County. The clan is a Luhya clan. How many times should Raila say the same thing?
Are there people who still doubt Raila’s genealogy even after Jaramogi himself laid it down so clearly in his 1967 autobiography, Not Yet Uhuru? It’s like pretending that Raila can defeat Ruto in Baringo, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Kericho or Bomet. That’s impossible.
Both Raila and his wife, Ida have Luhya lineage. In fact, Raila’s ancestry is traced back to Mumias in Kakamega County. It’s contemporary history. My own clan too had a sojourn in Matungu and Mumias areas on its migration route from Kano plains before it finally settled in Ugenya and Ugunja.
The Raila’s route is very clear right from Mwanga, Matara upto Jaramogi. It’s bad manners for Kenyans to try to recreate history in order to alienate people on tribal ground. I can assure you that the Luhya and Luo are woven into one large community. This may look strange or even politically correct, but it’s the reality.
Let me start with my own clan, Magoya. Magoya is a breakaway clan of the Kano clan of Kisumu County. The progenitor of this clan, Onyango Orende, moved with his people to higher grounds in Maragoli area to escape marauding floods in Kano plains. The clan continued to move westwards in search of more fertile soils for cultivation and enough space to inhabit until they got to the present day Matungu and Mumias areas of Kakamega County. The clan was adopted into the Wanga Kingdom, and placed under Mukoya, son of Mwanga III.
That marked the beginning of the name Wamukoya (or the Luo Magoya). From here, the majority of Jomagoya spread out to Ugenya and Ugunja. So, nobody can deny my Wanga heritage. The vast majority of names that populate my genealogy are of Luhya extraction: Ongore, son of Okoth, son of Ongore, son of Achieng’, son of Wasia, son of Muhoma, son of Haira, son of Mulamba, son of Muswi, son of Opwapo, son of Ongore, son of Onyango Orende, son of Magaga, Nyar Noi Oganyo Okog Rachuonyo, ka Bath Piny ma Dichuo.
I have my clan members in Ugunja, Ugenya, Butula, Mumias, Matungu, Maragoli and Kano plains in Kisumu. Siaya County from where I hail and the neighboring Busia country have literally been intertwined into one large melting pot of diverse cultures: Luhya, Luo, Maasai, Baganda, and Basoga.
Let’s look at a few examples. Abamirembo of Busia (former Cabinet Minister James Osogo and Ababu Namwamba’s clan) has an extension in Ugenya called Kamrembo. The progenitor of the Banyala people was called Wanyama. Wanyama had two sons: Otondi and Ndombi. Ndombi went to Kakamega , while Otondi remained in Busia. The descendants of Otondi got mixed up with the Luo of Siaya. They share culture, food and names. Some of those prominent Luo in public life are actually Banyala.
Napunyi in Busia is Nyapuny in Ugenya (James Orengo’s clan). Abawangwe in Bahayo are Jouwangwe in Ugunja. The ones in Ugenya are Luo while those in Busia are Luhya. Ababukaki in Busia are Kaugagi in Alego.
Abanineki in Busia are Kanyinek in Alego. Abanyekra in Busia are Wanyekra in Yimbo. Abasonga in Manyala are Jousonga in Siaya. Abahone are found among the Banyala of Busia, Samia, Bahayo, Ugenya in Siaya, Bungoma, Mayoni and other places.
Nevere and Bwibo of Marachi and Abasitsetse of Busia and Mumias respectively are Nyawere and Wiwo in Ugenya. Abafofoyo, Abamakoya, Abang’are, Ebusakami, Abamuri, Abasenge, Abaulwa, Abakati, Abamani, Abamachieni, Abaloto and Ebuchenya of Luhya land are Jofofoyo, Jomagoya, Jokamng’are, Jokasagam, Jomur, Jousenge, Jouulwa, Jokalkada, Joumani, Jokachien, Jokalodo, and Jougenya, respectively, of Luo land.
In Ugunja, we have Jomatiro, Jougolwe, Jokawango who exist in Mumias area of Kakamega as Abamatiro, Abakolwe, and Abawanga, respectively. These people trace their genealogies to same progenitors. They are one. Nobody can separate the Luhya from the Luo for to try to do so is like dividing a house against itself; it will not stand.
The football rivalries that are witnessed from time to time between Gor Mahia and AFC fans are mere sibling rivalries. They are just skin deep. The Luhya and the Luo can never engage in real fights. They are brothers.
What will they be fighting about?
In Busia, Ugenya, Ugunja, Sakwa, Yimbo, Uyoma, Asembo, Alego, Gem, Mumias and Butere, there’s hardly any Luhya home without a Luo woman, and hardly any Luo home without a Luhya woman. The Luo and Luhya is one big ethnic group. Hayo mengine ni pang’ang’a tuu. Wachana nayo.
I Wouldn’t be surprised if the Kakamega Senator, Hon Malala, had his roots in Ugenya. That’s the norm rather than the exception in that region. Therefore, those who are trying to portray Raila as an imposter among the Luhya people are ignorant of their own reality.
Actually, the majority of the Luhya people of Kakamega readily identify with Raila as one of their own. That’s the truth. He’s one of them. We belong to Luhya, and the Luhya belong to us. There’s no mistaking the relationship between these two communities. The word Nyanza itself is derived from the Luhya word ‘inyanza’ which means water mass. Kisumu, Maseno, Yala, Utere, Sigomre, Madungu, and Umala, are all derived from Luhya words Kisuma, Luseno, Eyala, Butere, Esikomere, Matungu, and Bumala, respectively.
Raila himself has treated his Luhya people very well, always sharing with them whatever little he gets from his hunting missions. We still remember how some ignorant Luo grumbled when PM Raila gave out the juiciest ministries and positions to the Luhya: Mudavadi, Marende, Otuoma, Oparanya, Ababu Namwamba, and Wangamati.
In fact, that was the only time that so many cabinet positions went to Luhya land since independence. I don’t know how many such positions were doled out to our Luhya people by those who are now competing with Raila for the Luhya vote. I invite you to name them one by one. The Luhya should know who’s telling them the truth.
Our people are not cattle to be auctioned to the highest bidder. Tumekataa. We will choose wisely. Anybody is free to check the facts. In deed, the bad blood between Ruto and Raila started when Raila preferred Mudavadi over Ruto for the position of Deputy Prime Minister.
Why do people forget so fast?
Raila is as much Luo as he is Luhya not only by his words, but comportment and deeds as well. Malala and a few other Luhya leaders in denial must not attempt to re-write Raila’s genealogy.
