NYANZA, Kenya – Recent political appointments and symbolic gestures from the Kenya Kwanza administration are being met with sharp criticism and skepticism from a cross-section of leaders and residents in the Nyanza region, who argue that such moves are insufficient to address deep-seated grievances.
This sentiment was vocalized recently by ACK Bishop Charles Ong’injo, who questioned the government’s strategy of offering “two cabinet posts and a state burial for the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga” as a means to rally Luo support for President William Ruto.
“Giving Luos two cabinet posts and giving Baba a state burial is not enough reason to rally Luos to vote for Ruto,” the Bishop stated, capturing a prevailing mood of disillusionment. “I don’t think there’s any Government that has killed many people like Ruto’s Government.”
The Bishop’s stark reference is widely interpreted as an allusion to the ongoing anti-government protests, which have been marked by fatal clashes between demonstrators and police, resulting in numerous civilian casualties as documented by various human rights organizations.
This political calculus from the statehouse also appears to clash with a persistent narrative within the late Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). A faction of Luo leaders and grassroots supporters have consistently insisted that “Baba,” as he was fondly known, left a clear political legacy: that the community should remain a formidable opposition force and not be co-opted into the “broad-based government” they believe he long fought against.
Further fueling public anger are pressing economic concerns. Bishop Ong’injo took aim at Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, whose high-profile tours of government projects have been a staple of recent news cycles.
The Bishop criticized the CS for “walking without integrity in the name of empowerment when Government employees are not getting their pay on time.” This comment taps into widespread frustration over delayed salaries for public servants, including teachers and medical staff, even as the government touts its development record.
For many in Nyanza, the government’s overtures—including the nomination of Eliud Owalo to the Cabinet and the posthumous honor of a state funeral for the Odinga family—are increasingly viewed as political placation. These actions are weighed against the heavier pillars of Raila’s perceived legacy, economic distress, and demands for accountability for alleged state violence.
As the national conversation continues, the message from the lakeside region appears clear: tangible improvements in livelihoods, respect for political legacy, and accountability will carry far more weight than symbolic appointments and ceremonial honors.
