Luo elders council losing its voice in the wake of political endorsements

Chairman of a faction of the Luo Council of Elders, Nyandiko Ongadi (in a red cap and animal skin) with his fellow elders addresses journalists at his home in Homa Bay county. [James Omoro, Standard]

In their heydays, their presence in important functions was always striking. Clad in special traditional attire, including special robes and a flywhisk, members of the Luo Council of Elders were a force to reckon with.

Their ‘Oteku’ (absolute power) penetrated the region with the potency of venom and their  words played a key role in determining key issues in the community and fostering unity.

Now, however, the council has become a pale shadow of its former self as internal wrangles persists and fresh divisions emerge in the wake of the ongoing political dispensation.