Politicians told to stop polarising the Luo Council of Elders

Chairman of the Luo Council of Elders, Nyandiko Ongadi (carrying a fly whisk), alongside other members of the council. [James Omoro, Standard]

Luo elders now want political leaders in Nyanza to keep off the affairs of the Luo Council of Elders to enhance unity of the cultural organisation.

The unity of the Luo Council of Elders has been elusive for more than a decade. This has led to the existence of two factions in the council leadership.

One faction is led by Nyandiko Ongadi, who holds the council’s registration certificate as the chairman.  Another faction is led by Odungi Randa as the chairman.

But the big question is: what polarised the senior citizens who used to work as a united institution through the council?

In a meeting which Ongadi convened at Alaw Rachuonyo Ground in Homa Bay County, elders blamed politicians as the cause of the disunity that has rocked the council leadership.

Ongadi told political leaders in Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya and Migori counties to stop meddling with the council’s affairs.

Ongadi said the tendency of politicians to take advantage of their powers to cause wrangles in the council by installing some elders as the council leaders must stop.

“Let our sons and daughters in leadership stop their habit of causing chaos in the council by installing elders of their choice as the Luo Council of Elders. They are polarising elders for no reason,” Ongadi said.

According to Ongadi, it is improper for the council to have two chairmen. He said the Luo Council of Elders is a registered entity with a constitution which elucidates how its chairman should be elected.

Chairman of the Luo Council of Elders, Nyandiko Ongadi (carrying a fly whisk), alongside other members of the council. [James Omoro, Standard]

“The Luo Council of Elders cannot have two chairmen. We have a constitution and I have the official certificate through which I am recognised as the chairman of the council,” Ongadi said.

Ongadi told Randa, who is leading another faction of the Luo Council of Elders, to join him so that they can work together for the unity of the council.

“I extend my appeal to Odungi Randa to come so that we work together for the unity of our community,” Ongadi said.

Owuor Akede, a member of the executive council of the Luo Council of Elders, told politicians to stick to their political line and leave cultural leadership to elders. He accused politicians of hoodwinking some elders who are their supporters and inciting them against Ongadi, exacerbating the division.

“The Luo Council of Elders is not a political organisation. Let our politicians stick to their lane and stop using elders who are their supporters to polarise the council,” Ongadi said.

Elder John Maji warned elders against being affiliated to a political party. Maji argued that affiliation to a political party will deny such elders the ability to arbitrate when issues occur in the community.

“It is wrong for our fellow elders to align themselves to a political party. This is wrong because such elders compromise their ability to arbitrate in a conflict pitting a member of the political party they are aligned to and a member of another political party,” Maji said.

The meeting brought together over 500 elders from Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya, Migori and Nairobi.

The elders called for unity in the council and unity of the Luo community.