Before opposition leader Raila Odinga was born on 7,January, 1945, his father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga already had plans for him and had in mind the role he was to play in the society.
Oginga who would several years later become the first Vice President of Kenya wanted his second born son to be the ultimate leader of the Luo people, nicknaming him ‘Wuod Luo’ which translates to son of the Luo.
This with time further broke down to ‘Aluo’, with his elder brother Oburu Oginga who was nicknamed ‘Wuod Piny’ (Son of the world) being simply called ‘Wuodi’ by the father, then a school teacher.
Unlike his younger brother, Oburu who is two years older was supposed to study hard and be a diplomat who would go around the world promoting peace, hence the name son of the world.
To ensure that each of them stuck to the dream he had for them, Oginga had to isolate the two and separate them from each other to prevent them from growing too playful to the extent of veering off his track.
This seems to have been realized because, while Odinga is the undisputed leader who has surpassed the Luo kingship his father had for him to be a national political figure wielding so much influence, Oburu is flying the nation’s flag in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
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