The Chairperson of the Luo Council of Elders, Ker Odungi Randa, has called upon the Luo community to increase their population and honor the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga by naming their children after him.
Speaking on Sunday during the state burial ceremony of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Bondo Sub-county, Siaya, the 86-year-old Ker revealed that the hat he wore at the event was a special gift from Luos living in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Recently, the Luos from Congo brought me this hat and asked, ‘How many Luos do you have in Kenya?’ I told them we are four million. Then they asked me, ‘What are you doing with women? Why are your women not giving birth?’” Odungi narrated, sparking laughter among mourners.
The elder emphasized the need for the Luo community to embrace growth, lamenting that their population ranking has dropped over the years.
“I am asking from today, once you leave this place, go give birth and name those children Raila Odinga,” he urged.
Ker Odungi noted that the Luo community was once the third largest in Kenya after the Kikuyu and Kalenjin, but now ranks fifth, a trend he finds worrying.
The burial ceremony of Raila Odinga, the ODM Party leader and national icon, drew political leaders from across Kenya and beyond. Calls for unity, peace, and continuity of Raila’s legacy dominated the event, which was presided over by President William Samoei Ruto.
