Talk:Jaramogi Oginga Odinga

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I started writing the article under Oginga Odinga without realising that one already existed. I'll be making the above article as a Redirect and put the text I've written here to be used in this article later.

Ajuma Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (1911? - 1994) was Kenya's first vice-president and an active politician until his death. To the Luo people he was the Ker (spiritual leader). He was better known simply as Oginga Odinga.
He was born Obadiah Adonijah Odinga, the son of a carpenter at Bondo in Nyanza Province, Kenya. He had two brothers and one sister. He attended Maseno Secondary School and Alliance High School in his youth, and in 1939 graduated with a diploma in education from Makerere University College.
Odinga taught mathematics at the Church Missionary Society school at Maseno between 1940 and 1942. While here, he dropped his Christian names and insisted that others call him Oginga Odinga. In 1943 he became headmaster of the Maseno Veterinary School. In 1947 he founded the Luo Thrift and Trading Company in an effort to improve the economy of the Luo people. This earned him the title of Ker. Odinga attempted to uphold the ideals of Ramogi Ajwang, and adopted the name Jaramogi in reverence to this historical figure.
From 1952 to 1959, Kenya was under a state of emergency arising from the Mau Mau rebellion against British rule. Among the Kenyan political leaders accused of supporting the Mau Mau was Jomo Kenyatta Kenyatta, who was arrested and detained. Odinga subsequently campaigned for Kenyatta's release, insisting that the nationalist leader was essential to bring Kenya's independence.
Kenyatta was released in 1961, and was elected President in 1963. He appointed Odinga as Vice President.

--Mintie 06:48, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)


Let's not forget the classic "Oginga Odinga" strip in the btaf album "Coffee with Sinistar" --130.243.207.208 06:06, 16 November 2006 (UTC)