Re: DO RAILA SUPPORTERS KNOW THAT HUMMER / NYUNDO SLOGAN IS A BAD CAMPAIGN TOOL?

Dear Barack,

Thank you for your critical analysis of Raila's supporters and by extension the Luo community. When people read your contributions, they can easily be bought by the ideas you put forward without getting in-depth to understand your analysis. I believe you still think so much in the past that Raila's supportes are mainly and only Luos. That would be a correct assuption in the past but is no longer the reality on the ground. Raila campaigned for Kibaki in the last election and his supporters extended beyond the Luo Borders. Moreover Kibera where Raila get's his political support is not dominated by Luos. There is a good mix of the Kenyan people in Kibera including Luhyas, Kambas, Kisiis, Nubians, Kikuyus, etc who support Raila for his leadership qualities rather than his ethnic origin. In Mombasa and the rest of the country, Raila still has support from many tribes and even people from the Kikuyu community. By the way, the Kamba community is much larger than the Luo community in Mombasa.

The booing you saw in Mombasa was not planned as you try to sell. It was spontaneous from a people telling Kalonzo and his ilk that they are tired of being drawn into the History of tribalism. The message was clear; don't support Consensus because you think the promoters of consensus are supporting you. They were sending the message to Kalonzo that he should let democracy take shape and accept ODM-K presidential elections through the ballot in order to get the best presidential contender for ODM-K. It was not about Raila or Kalonzo. Shouting Hammer or Nyundo was just to say they supported the idea of the Ballot rather than Consensus. Many people for political convenience have turned this round and made it appear like it was a PR contest between Kalonzo and Raila. One thing you fail to put into context, was that the week before the Mombasa Rally, Raila had been told in a meeting that he could not lead simply because he was a Luo. This notion angered many Kenyans and is still a subject of debate until today. Read the commentary of the Standard of July 13th to confirm this. The truth of the matter is that unlike in the past, when Raila's supporters were mostly from the Luo community, the situation has since changed tremendously. Just to inform you, Raila is supported by the Masai close to 100%, the Luhyas 50%; the Kamba maybe 30%, Kalenjin 60%, Kikuyu 20%, the Kisii 90% and many other tribes. He has support of some Meru, Embu, etc. Raila has good support also in the Coast where I believe his support is almost 50%. I just wanted to share with you a recent occurrence in Kenya about three weeks ago, where there was a Vote in one of the FM stations; Classic FM 105; and Raila gannered 78 votes, Mudavadi 28, Kalonzo 21, and Ruto 8. I must tell you that the callers were from the whole congregation of the Kenyan tribes. I felt that Kenyans had changed and should not be stereotyped as it happened in the past. You should read Kipkoech Tanui and Odipo's commentaries in the East African Standard. They say that Raila should not be judged on the basis of his tribe. He should be seen for what he is. He is a good leader who transcends the Kenyan tribal boundaries and they were ready to vote for him for what he is and is capable of doing for Kenya. He has shown that he can. These people are not Luos. One thing is that they are from different communities but have their reasoning sounded on facts rather than on simple analysis such as the one you are promoting and expecting many people to believe and buy. I am a Luo and I was in the Kamukunji Rally. We were all form different tribes in that rally. There was one Luo guy who thought he liked Raila more than the people attending and was shouting loudly making it difficult for the rest to follow the speeches; it is the crowd that stopped him and sent him away. The crowd was a mixture of Luos and other tribes. So for me I don' buy your reasoning that the crowds in Mombasa were choreographed into shouting Hammer! or Nyundo!. The same thing happened in Machakos before the Mombasa Rally. It will still happen in Nakuru next Sunday. Raila is a darling of the Kenyan people and this is true whether one likes it or not and cannot be stopped. One thing you must remember, there are so many Luos who could aspire for the presidency, what would be your hypothesis, that he would get the same reception like Raila is getting? I don't think so! We had James Orengo in the last elections-nothing like this happened. Even in Nyeri, I can assure you Raila would be mobbed by people. This something that baffles ordinary thinking as is currently happening. Remember Moi with Nyayo! Nyayo! Nyayo!...Please tell us what it was then that drove the people to Moi. This time it was not the Luos maybe it was them, we really don't know! Your hypothesis Barack does not hold water. Ditch it or re-mould it into a sellable product.

Since you are Luo, you might have forgotten that the Luo way of life is not that of arrogance, in Dholuo it is called "Nyadhi". Nyadhi is not arrogance. There is no English word for it. For example, if you were to conduct a Harambee in Luo-land today, women will ululate and sing your praise and make you really honoured. It is this style of expression that many people normally think is arrogance by the Luo. This is a culture! The Luo community many times insists on quality for what they do be it in school, football, stitching, carpentry, engineering, etc. These are standards bequeathed on the Luos by their fore fathers and mothers and is what motors them on. It is not pride. What do Luos posses to make them proud or arrogant? Nothing! You need to get somebody to do a PhD on the Luo culture, maybe then, we will understand them better. Raila is fighting for the masses and not the Luos as such. Please let us assist him win. He is not a Luo Captain. He is a Kenyan leader. Please Brack, if you have a formula of stopping the chants, then please come to Kenya and assist. I am sure it will be most welcome since it will moderate and direct the campaigns and a most acceptable and diplomatic way.

Good day and good luck!

Dr. Peter Okoth,
Nairobi, Kenya.