Strife looms as Luo Council of Elders set to elect new chairperson
Luos are set to choose the new chairperson for the Luo Council of Elders on Saturday, July 2, which has led to a lot of competition and talks on who is to be chairman to unite all the Luos.
Most elders are looking for support from former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Governors, Senators, and other Luo leaders in order to be endorsed by the Luo elders.
On Thursday, 29, June the current Luo chairperson Nyandiko Ongadi said the council of Luo leaders is an important component of leadership in Nyanza and should be focused on the unity of the people and not on their division.
“I will only step down if all Luo elders oppose my leadership,” Ongadi said claiming that his ‘Juogi’ which refers to the connection between the living and the dead was still strong and demanded he be a Luo elder
In regards to the same election politics of the Luo elders, some were accused of giving out money to be chosen as leaders of the Luo Council of Elders.
On Tuesday, June 27, a section of Luo leaders from the Nyanza community accused some leaders of giving handouts to potential voters in order for them to be chosen as the overall leaders of the Luo Council of Elders.
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“We want to build unity in the Luo community, We don’t vote for leaders, but a list is presented to elders who approve the new leader. We have seen people running up and down giving handouts to potential voters that are not in our system,” Adero Osawa a leader of the Luo Council of Elders stated.
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party leader, Raila Odinga, is set to unveil the new chairman of the Luo Council of Elders on Saturday, July 2.
The council has been in charge of endorsing various political parties in the region and political leaders like former Prime Minister Odinga
“We want unity in the luo community,” Osawa stated as the reason for choosing the chairman for the elders in the community.