Man behind Jaramogi's communism dies at 86

The late William Odhiambo Okello (left) with the first Kenyan President, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. [Photo: Courtesy]

A former Kenyan envoy said to have introduced first Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga to communism has died.

Until his death on Monday, William Odhiambo Okello was a close friend of the Odinga family.

In his heydays, Okello helped the senior Odinga establish important political links in many African countries, where he worked as an ambassador.

According to his brother George Mirulo, Okello had been recuperating after being discharged from hospital but died at his home in Nairobi. He was 86.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga eulogised Okello as one of Kenya's most prominent yet least known sons.

He said Okello nurtured many of Africa's liberation heroes.

"For 30 years, he was virtually the face of Organisation of African Unity (OAU) until his retirement to a quiet life in Siaya County," Raila said in his official Twitter handle.

Diplomatic etiquette

A former envoy in the Kenya liberation office in Cairo, William Odhiambo Okello who passed away on Monday at the age of 86 years. [Photo: Courtesy]

Okello will also be remembered for going against diplomatic etiquette by opening a Kanu party office in Cairo, during his tour of duty in Egypt.

The office later turned out to be a safe haven for Africa's pioneer liberation movement leaders, including Kenya's first President Jomo Kenyatta.

"A number of liberation movements and their leaders found refuge in the Cairo office and worked closely with Mr Okello," said Raila in his tribute.

Okello opened the office in 1959 alongside two young students-Wera Ambitho and Abdulla Karungo Kinyariro.

In his book Not Yet Uhuru Jaramogi describes the trio as young men who gave up their lives and study opportunity to allow many more Kenyans to realise their dreams of studying in the eastern bloc.

According to his brother, Ambitho and Okello went on to introduce Odinga to communism.

“Okello and the two students secretly crossed over to Uganda and went on to Sudan, where they were enrolled to study law at Khartoum University. From Khartoum, they launched scathing attacks against colonialism,” said his brother Richard Oudia.

Okello and Ambitho moved on to Cairo, Egypt, where the government of Gamel Abdel Nasser granted them political refugees’ status and gave them an office.

“They became the voice of the eastern leaning nationalism that coalesced around Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. The colonial government in Kenya referred to them as “the two mad men in Cairo,” recounted Oudia.

Okello later came to hold a special place in Jaramogi's son-Raila's life. In his memoir, Raila Odinga. An Enigma in Kenyan Politics, the Opposition leader wrote how he joined the Okello brothers for a trip to Dar es Salaam and onward to Cairo.

When the spying missions on eastern socialist-leaning universities and the Cairo office were intensified, Okello and his small band of firebrand liberation activists took up aliases to confuse the British, who were determined to stop them.

"Okello took the code-name 'Rateng,' Wera Ambitho was ‘Oke Nyang,' while Karungo took the name 'Beshir," recounted Oudia.

Family statement

Okello's family, in a statement issued after his death, described him as the epitome of modesty.

“He was a humble but powerful man. I knew him from 1955. He was the father of liberation, but nobody rewarded him because he didn't like publicity," said Dr Odhiambo Olel.

Raila's brother, Oburu Oginga, described Okello as a great man who helped build Kenya.

“I first met him around 1962 and he helped me travel to Moscow and to get university admission,” said Dr Oburu.

Oburu also eulogised Okello as a generous man who struggled for liberation through university education.

“He secured many scholarships in the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, North Korea, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and East Germany. Tickets to these countries were only available in Cairo or London offices," Oburu said yesterday.