Lessons from Piny Luo, Limuru Three talks

The just-ended Fourth Edition of the Piny Luo Festival held at Migwena Grounds in Siaya County was an electrifying way to end or start the year.

Attended by guests from six countries to ‘reflect on the state of the Luo nation in the spirit of unity,’ it was widely hailed as proof of a powerful resurgence in nationalist aspirations.

African Union Commission chairmanship candidate and opposition chief Raila Odinga said the event had many non-Luo attendees. Curiously though, he clarified that the festival wasn’t meant to sideline other tribes but rather to unify Kenyans.

For those of us from western Kenya, the festival was an eye-opener. It offered a peek into the cultural significance of Ramogi Hills to the Luo community, besides providing a platform for political elites and academics from across borders to bond and celebrate the lakeside heritage. Keenly following the festival, I recalled the controversial Limuru Three meeting held last year under a cloud of political tensions. Similar gatherings like the Turkana Cultural Festival and the Maulid Annual Cultural Fete, have split opinion in the past. Critics often dismiss them as tribal posturing, yet their historical and cultural significance is undeniable.

As Chinua Achebe says in Things Fall Apart: “A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast doesn’t do so to save them from starving. They all have food. When we gather in the moonlit village ground, it is not because of the moon. All can see it in their compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so.”

In 2025, let’s pull all the stops to de-politicise our tribal identities. Let tribes meet frequently, not to foster division, but to appreciate their unique cultures as an exercise of their freedoms of thought and association. It’s good that the Luo event didn’t have a political twist like Limuru Three that dwelt on supremacy wars between Mt Kenya leaders.   

In this modern day and age, it is crucial to shift our national perception of tribalism. Not all ethnic interactions should be dismissed as depraved ethnicity. It is disconcerting that our diversity in Kenya - we have more than 40 tribes - has historically been weaponised. Unity and cultural preservation are often misunderstood to be downright ‘ukabila.’

Then, political mobilisation along ethnic lines every election year is perpetuating dangerous stereotypes about ‘majority’ and ‘minority’ tribes. Reports of certain tribes dominating public jobs have equally strained cohesion. However, we can make constructive ethnicity a source of strength.

By fostering respect for diverse cultural expressions that adhere to the law, we can harness Kenya’s unique diversity for unity rather than division. With open minds and hearts, let’s share the positive aspects while also using them to create revenue and positive vibes in the New Year.

Suffice to say, cultural meetings like the Piny Luo Festival should provide opportunities for domestic tourism to thrive in all the 47 countries. Since 2019, direct earnings from domestic tourism has annually averaged Sh343 billion, signaling a huge but untapped potential.

Importantly, however, we must reject campaigns that exploit tribal affiliations negatively. Incidents like the ejection of a university vice-chancellor for being from the ‘wrong’ tribe and the tribal violence of 2007 proved the dangers of negative ethnicity. Those using tribes to foster resentment must be held accountable.

I have long advocated for amending the National Cohesion and Integration Act to empower the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC). This would enable the NCIC to promote positive tribal attributes while curbing divisive rhetoric. The agency, for now, is gasping for breath and doesn’t seem to be empowered enough to rid the country of tribal bigotry.

Ultimately, our diversity should be celebrated, not feared. By embracing cultural festivals and meetings like Piny Luo and Limuru Three, we can promote unity and progress. It can be done, like in Tanzania where Ujamaa has created one cohesive nation.

-The writer is a communications practitioner. Twitter(X): markoloo