{UAH} What's with them Luos?
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9:43 AM |
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Forum,
What makes this people tick, for the right or wrong reason depending on which side of the fence you sit?
Pointers:
* Descendants of West African slaves have lived there for centuries, tried unsuccessfully for decades to provide a president for the country but a randy Luo student goes to America on a scholarship initiated by sons of Irish immigrants, gets a wife there and bang! his offspring is President of US of A before even finishing his first term as senator.
* Stacie Aamito enters a contest, people call her names from ugly to too black and before we know, she has beaten the rest of Africa in modeling contest in New York.
* John Akii Bua stayed, served in a government he probably did not like and the rest was history, giving Amin his biggest international limelight in a year his enemies, most of them Luos, made a shambles of attacking him from Tanzania.
* Obote emerges from a society which is fiercely independent and personalized and where people don't care whether they have a king or leader, then goes on to lead the country ahead of the pack, twice!
* When president Edward Muteesa wanted to get rid of his prime minister Obote, he at first uses another Luo, Daudi Ochieng as proxy.
* John Okello goes from Dokolo for Kyeyo in far away Zanzibar and while the locals there were despondent and in comfort zone, mobilizes them and they kick out a centuries-old ruling elite. He is despised by leaders in other East African countries including his fellow Luo Obote, until Amin decides there can only be one popular General in the country and kills him; no one really knows where he was buried.
* Okello and Okello get fed up with their Luo boss, or boss gets fed up of them, and they kick him out.
* When the defeated UNLA fled to Sudan in 1986, the first person used by Khartoum to welcome and later rearm them was a Lt. Col. Charles Ogeno, a Luo of Sudan.
* Even Idi Amin realises there is one type of Luo you can't kill anyhow-kills only Ahmed Oduka but leaves two Luo to serve him all his years as Directors of Uganda Police Band and Uganda Army Band, when it was risky to be a Luo officer in his govenrment (ASP Venansio Okello, Lt Col. Abednego Orech Okot). And why is that the most famous music directors of the armed forces in all governments have been Luo (Okello and Orech under Amin, Capt Otto Cong-gwok, Okello and Owacha Otto under Obote II, Lt Col Okello Kafifi and Venansio Okello under Museveni, Col Justin Anywar under Museveni etc)?
* The only person ever officially hanged for committing crimes on behalf of Idi Amin was Kassim Obura Abak, commissioner of police under Amin.
* John Ejura, Hunter Okae and Apollo Lawoko are the only Luo who were detained at Amin's notorious State Research Bureau headquarters in Nakasero and miraculously released to live to tell it.
* All heads of key security services under Obote II were Luo-even Amin failed that feat: (Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Tito Okello, Army Chief of Staff Major General Oyite Ojok, later Brigadier Smith Opon Acak, Inspector General of Police Okoth Ogola, Commissioner of Prisons Barnabas Byabazaire-yes he is Luo from Atura, Apac, Police Special Forces Commander Ahmed Ogeny). Only the National Security Agency was headed by a non-Luo (Ddumba).
* A Luo, John Michael Olake Ogwang, again from around Dokolo that revels in producing mavericks , was one of only few Luo to go to the bush to fight Obote II, and Cosmas Adyebo, another Luo, was arrested and almost got killed for resembling Ogwang. Only Adoko Nekyon officially opposed Obote from Lango.
* Lupita Nyong'o is doing something in Hollywood.
* Jaramogi Odinga Odinga was 'foolish' enough to give up being president because a certain son of 'Luo-Babiito' was in jail. That guy comes out of jail and ends up jailing him and banning him from politics. Odinga's son still fights to become president but has been the most influential Kenyan politician of the last two decades, whatever that means.
* Is it not strange that only a Luo soldier at the rank of senior private can stage such a hair-brained and hopeless coup attempt as the one Ochuka did on August 1, 1982 in Kenya?
* Only a Luo (Lt Col. Erinayo Oryema) can help Amin fend off arrest by his own government, trusts Amin entirely only to end up being executed by Amin himself eight years later.
* Joseph Kony, a Luo, was the first human being to be indicted by the International Criminal Court and Barrack Obama, the first black American president and a Luo, was the first American leader in history to send American troops to help capture Kony, a fellow Luo!
* The first woman in the world to convince a modern day university professor (Isaac Newton Ojok, and military officers trained in some of the world's leading military colleges), that stones can turn into bombs and bullets can turn into water, was an illiterate Luo woman named Alice Abongowat, also known as Lakwena.
* The Nuer of South Sudan are cousins of the Luo (they even have Lou-Nuer). When some of them served Idi Amin, they were known as Anyanya 111, and were very merciless against the Luos. Riek Machar, in Luo means (Clever but Reckless) and we know what happens when he does not get what he wants.
* A Luo, Prof. Otiti, is the only Ugandan of repute whose name currently features as a Nobel Laureate for winning the prize as part of the UN Panel on climate change.
* The Luo of Uganda have the most number of generals buried outside the country: Lt. Gen. Bazilio Olara Okello (regular army), Lt. Gen. Vincent Otti, Major General John Okello Matata, Major General George Komakech Omona, Brigadier Alex Otti Lagony, Brigadier Binansio Okumu, Brigadier Sisto Opira (Abudema), Brigadier Otto Agweng, among others- all buried or thrown to rot in Sudan, South Sudan and DR Congo.
* Of the UPDF's ten Members of Parliament, 3 are Luo (Major General Julius Faki Oketta, Col. Innocent Oula and Major Susan Lakot), making them the largest ethnic group by representation among the UPDF contingent in parliament.
* In the current conflict in South Sudan, Major General Johnson Biliu Gony and Gordon Kony Jikany are involved on the side or Salva Kiir and Riek Machar.
* South African politician Lindiwe Sisulu who looks after the country's defence, is married to a Luo.
* Luo cities or Gulu and Lira have Luganda-nemad surburbs, (Kakooge in Lira) and (Kasubi, Kanyagoga in Gulu).
* The most popular and most sought-after hill and residential address in Kampala, Kololo, was named by a Luo chief detained in Kampala by the British.
And many others and more.
Billie
What makes this people tick, for the right or wrong reason depending on which side of the fence you sit?
Pointers:
* Descendants of West African slaves have lived there for centuries, tried unsuccessfully for decades to provide a president for the country but a randy Luo student goes to America on a scholarship initiated by sons of Irish immigrants, gets a wife there and bang! his offspring is President of US of A before even finishing his first term as senator.
* Stacie Aamito enters a contest, people call her names from ugly to too black and before we know, she has beaten the rest of Africa in modeling contest in New York.
* John Akii Bua stayed, served in a government he probably did not like and the rest was history, giving Amin his biggest international limelight in a year his enemies, most of them Luos, made a shambles of attacking him from Tanzania.
* Obote emerges from a society which is fiercely independent and personalized and where people don't care whether they have a king or leader, then goes on to lead the country ahead of the pack, twice!
* When president Edward Muteesa wanted to get rid of his prime minister Obote, he at first uses another Luo, Daudi Ochieng as proxy.
* John Okello goes from Dokolo for Kyeyo in far away Zanzibar and while the locals there were despondent and in comfort zone, mobilizes them and they kick out a centuries-old ruling elite. He is despised by leaders in other East African countries including his fellow Luo Obote, until Amin decides there can only be one popular General in the country and kills him; no one really knows where he was buried.
* Okello and Okello get fed up with their Luo boss, or boss gets fed up of them, and they kick him out.
* When the defeated UNLA fled to Sudan in 1986, the first person used by Khartoum to welcome and later rearm them was a Lt. Col. Charles Ogeno, a Luo of Sudan.
* Even Idi Amin realises there is one type of Luo you can't kill anyhow-kills only Ahmed Oduka but leaves two Luo to serve him all his years as Directors of Uganda Police Band and Uganda Army Band, when it was risky to be a Luo officer in his govenrment (ASP Venansio Okello, Lt Col. Abednego Orech Okot). And why is that the most famous music directors of the armed forces in all governments have been Luo (Okello and Orech under Amin, Capt Otto Cong-gwok, Okello and Owacha Otto under Obote II, Lt Col Okello Kafifi and Venansio Okello under Museveni, Col Justin Anywar under Museveni etc)?
* The only person ever officially hanged for committing crimes on behalf of Idi Amin was Kassim Obura Abak, commissioner of police under Amin.
* John Ejura, Hunter Okae and Apollo Lawoko are the only Luo who were detained at Amin's notorious State Research Bureau headquarters in Nakasero and miraculously released to live to tell it.
* All heads of key security services under Obote II were Luo-even Amin failed that feat: (Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Tito Okello, Army Chief of Staff Major General Oyite Ojok, later Brigadier Smith Opon Acak, Inspector General of Police Okoth Ogola, Commissioner of Prisons Barnabas Byabazaire-yes he is Luo from Atura, Apac, Police Special Forces Commander Ahmed Ogeny). Only the National Security Agency was headed by a non-Luo (Ddumba).
* A Luo, John Michael Olake Ogwang, again from around Dokolo that revels in producing mavericks , was one of only few Luo to go to the bush to fight Obote II, and Cosmas Adyebo, another Luo, was arrested and almost got killed for resembling Ogwang. Only Adoko Nekyon officially opposed Obote from Lango.
* Lupita Nyong'o is doing something in Hollywood.
* Jaramogi Odinga Odinga was 'foolish' enough to give up being president because a certain son of 'Luo-Babiito' was in jail. That guy comes out of jail and ends up jailing him and banning him from politics. Odinga's son still fights to become president but has been the most influential Kenyan politician of the last two decades, whatever that means.
* Is it not strange that only a Luo soldier at the rank of senior private can stage such a hair-brained and hopeless coup attempt as the one Ochuka did on August 1, 1982 in Kenya?
* Only a Luo (Lt Col. Erinayo Oryema) can help Amin fend off arrest by his own government, trusts Amin entirely only to end up being executed by Amin himself eight years later.
* Joseph Kony, a Luo, was the first human being to be indicted by the International Criminal Court and Barrack Obama, the first black American president and a Luo, was the first American leader in history to send American troops to help capture Kony, a fellow Luo!
* The first woman in the world to convince a modern day university professor (Isaac Newton Ojok, and military officers trained in some of the world's leading military colleges), that stones can turn into bombs and bullets can turn into water, was an illiterate Luo woman named Alice Abongowat, also known as Lakwena.
* The Nuer of South Sudan are cousins of the Luo (they even have Lou-Nuer). When some of them served Idi Amin, they were known as Anyanya 111, and were very merciless against the Luos. Riek Machar, in Luo means (Clever but Reckless) and we know what happens when he does not get what he wants.
* A Luo, Prof. Otiti, is the only Ugandan of repute whose name currently features as a Nobel Laureate for winning the prize as part of the UN Panel on climate change.
* The Luo of Uganda have the most number of generals buried outside the country: Lt. Gen. Bazilio Olara Okello (regular army), Lt. Gen. Vincent Otti, Major General John Okello Matata, Major General George Komakech Omona, Brigadier Alex Otti Lagony, Brigadier Binansio Okumu, Brigadier Sisto Opira (Abudema), Brigadier Otto Agweng, among others- all buried or thrown to rot in Sudan, South Sudan and DR Congo.
* Of the UPDF's ten Members of Parliament, 3 are Luo (Major General Julius Faki Oketta, Col. Innocent Oula and Major Susan Lakot), making them the largest ethnic group by representation among the UPDF contingent in parliament.
* In the current conflict in South Sudan, Major General Johnson Biliu Gony and Gordon Kony Jikany are involved on the side or Salva Kiir and Riek Machar.
* South African politician Lindiwe Sisulu who looks after the country's defence, is married to a Luo.
* Luo cities or Gulu and Lira have Luganda-nemad surburbs, (Kakooge in Lira) and (Kasubi, Kanyagoga in Gulu).
* The most popular and most sought-after hill and residential address in Kampala, Kololo, was named by a Luo chief detained in Kampala by the British.
And many others and more.
Billie
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