Ker Nyandiko Ong'adi unveils 2024 plans as Luo nation unity tops

In a bid to make the Luo Council of Elders a vibrant and more visible institution, Ker Nyandiko Ong'adi has outlined various activities and programmes that his office will be engaged in throughout 2024 and beyond.

Among other activities, the chairman of the cultural outfit has listed, as a priority, visits by Luo elders to each of the Luo clans spread in the four  Luo Nyanza counties of Siaya, Kisumu, Migori and Homa Bay to carry out mass sensitization about Luo cultural issues.

These visits which involve meeting with the community members are geared towards popularising and strengthening the elders' Council and highlighting its significance to the community.

During these visits, Ker will be expected to hold targeted meetings, particularly with young people from the community as a way of ensuring they embrace the cultural activities and traditions of the Luo nation and to ensure young people are not left behind on issues affecting the community.

Ker Nyandiko, however, pointed out that only cultural practices and traditions that are still deemed beneficial will be promoted even as the community discards nolonger sustainable practices.

Ker said he would also use the planned meetings to preach unity amongst the Luo nation and vouch for peaceful coexistence even with its neighbours.

Speaking to the Star, Ker Nyandiko noted that the council has realised that most young people from the community do not know what values and benefits come with the existence of the cultural body.

"There's a need to sensitize our people, particularly the young Luos about our ways as a community and help them understand the roles of the Luo Council of Elders and its significance," he said.

" Our roles need to be well articulated so that we are understood. This is why we have decided to move to every Luo clan and have sensitization meetings with them," he added.

The Luo Council of Elders is an existing social structure in the Luo community that was traditionally used to solve problems, share information and educate the younger generation.

Ker Nyandiko noted that the leadership of the Luo Council of Elders is also looking at various proposals that they hope to roll out to give the cultural outfit financial autonomy moving forward.

The council's chairman said the proposals will soon be tabled for discussions and ratified to offer practical steps that will lead to immediate financial returns in revenues.

Apart from the financial proposals, Nyandiko noted that there are plans to establish the Luo traditional "Parliament" that will deal with communal issues.

Amongst the proposed revenue-generating activities include a genealogy website or app where all users will be expected to pay a one-off fee to be able to access the database.

The elders are also proposing to be involved in the approval of the cultural attires for all Luo occasions.

" We would also wish to see cultural villages, clan courts and museums established," he said.

According to the yet-to-be-discussed proposals, the "parliament" of the Luo will consist of a speaker, 7 scholars nominated by the Ker and representatives of all the clans within the Luo of Kenya and assimilated Luos.

The proposed role of this "parliament" will be to preserve the culture and way of life of the Luo community and to act as an arbiter on conflicts and settlement of conflicts.

It will also promote education, but most importantly to identify and reward the most deserving sons and daughters of the Luos worldwide.

According to the proposals, the "parliament" will also seek to protect the wealth found within the Luo nation and seek royalty as the case may apply.

" We are seeking to bring the Luo nation together in a forum that unites rather than divides," Mzee Nyandiko said.

" We also seek to preserve the community land rights so that county governments do not donate to their "political "friend's community land in the guise of investment," he added.

The Luo "parliament", according to the proposal will be known as "Buch Oganda".