From total orphan to youth leader and Gen Z; This man Oburu Oginga

Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga is mocking those ruling him out of politics on account of age, saying he is as energetic as a child.

The Senator, now referred to as Oburu Gen Z, is one of the old men who have acquired nicknames portraying them as young people. Before the latest moniker, he was comfortable being called Oburu Youth Leader, a title he acquired after being elected in 2022.

At the age of 81 years, Oburu’s nicknames would make someone think that he is a young man who was born 20 years ago.

When Oburu was serving as a member of the East African Legislative Assembly in Arusha, Tanzania, between 2017 and 2022, some Siaya residents thought Dr. Oburu was going to retire from politics due to his age.

They believed he would relinquish his political ambition so that a youthful person could be elected to succeed him. But he vied for the Siaya senatorial seat, trouncing his younger competitors.

After being sworn into office, Nyanza residents nicknamed him Youth Leader to sarcastically mean that he was in a job that ought to have been occupied by younger people.

Dr. Oburu humbly accepted the nickname, and in many forums and rallies, he has never been shy about introducing himself as Youth Leader. The humour he employed in accepting the name seemingly endeared him to his electorate — and so did his latest moniker, which he acquired after the Gen Zs’ uprising in June last year.

Immediately after their protest, the Gen Zs became popular as audacious, energetic, and intelligent young people who could push for reforms in this country.

He has been referring to himself as a Gen Z in various public fora in Nyanza. According to Dr. Oburu, by being a “Gen Z,” he is still capable of leading ODM with a zeal similar to that of a young person.

This became evident when he recently visited Homa Bay Town to mark a memorial service for his late brother, former ODM leader Raila Odinga.

In indirect reference to people who say he is too old to lead ODM, Dr. Oburu said he had the energy to lead the party, dismissing those touting him as too old to hold such a demanding leadership responsibility.

“My body looks old, but when it comes to brain capacity, my brain is as active as that of Gen Zs. I might look old, but I think like Gen Zs, hence I am a Gen Z,” Oburu said.

Dr. Oburu said he will not allow ODM to be swallowed by other political parties, maintaining that the party must continue to survive with its political vigour to achieve its objective of capturing power.

Dr. Oburu was given the mandate of acting as the ODM party leader after the death of Raila on October 15.