Then there was the festering conundrum of tribalism. Bitter political
differences had emerged on the road to independence between the two main
tribes, with Kenyatta, a Kikuyu, and Odinga, a Luo, pulling in different
directions. Suspicion had dogged their relationship for several years.

However, by 1958, Odinga appeared to have put differences behind
him. As the country moved towards independence, it was Odinga who stood
in Parliament and spoke fervently about Kenyatta being the leader of the
Africans. He made those remarks at a time when such utterances were
deemed treasonable. Even some Kikuyu leaders did not want to tread in that
direction, believing Kenyatta was a terrorist and deserved to remain in prison.

By clinging to that belief, Odinga was branded a Mau Mau sympathizer
and received a harsh back-lash from the local press: “Let the people come
forward now and hound Odinga out of political life forever,” the colonial owned
Kenya Weekly News said in a blistering attack. “Mr. Odinga should be
put in his place – I need not stipulate the place I have in mind,” a hint to
detention.

Initially, Kenyatta did not want to isolate the Luo from the government.
Bombastic as they were, the Luo provided a leverage of support in a country
divided by tribal schisms. When in the 1950s the colonialists lifted the ban on
political activity everywhere in Kenya except in Central Kenya, tribally centered
associations emerged at the district level throughout the country.
Those associations were very much at play when a ban on political parties
was lifted countrywide in 1960, with the emergence of two main political
parties, KANU and KADU. The Kikuyu stood with the Luo in KANU while
the rest of the country supported KADU.

To underscore his intentions of bringing the Luo closer to the Kikuyu,
Kenyatta, during the self-government celebrations on 1 June 1963, rode with
three people on his ceremonial Land Rover: Oginga and Mboya, both Luo,
and Gichuru, a Kikuyu. Three years later, however, the shaky friendship
between Kenyatta and Odinga had turned upside down when the former
hounded the latter out of mainstream political life.
At a stormy delegates’ conference in Limuru in 1966, Odinga was
removed as the party vice president in a scheme hatched by Tom Mboya. The
following month, Odinga resigned as Vice President of the Republic kicking
off a bitter political fight between Kenyatta and Odinga. In 1969, after
exchanging sharp words at the opening of the Russian-built Kisumu Hospital,
Odinga and some his top officials were rounded up and restricted and
Odinga’s struggling Kenya People’s Union (KPU) banned.

Kumbe hii maneno ya okuyo vs joluo started ages ago....and Mboya was the one finishing jaramogi? Pg 53

Too late. The horse has already bolted. If anything @wazuans should mpesa me a tusker for giving then a free copy of the book hapo Post #1.

Too late. The horse has already bolted. If anything @wazuans should mpesa me a tusker for giving then a free copy of the book hapo Post #1.

Thanks and you truly deserve a tusker from AFCO