Prosperous Siaya

On this Saturday evening, Awinja is done with all her chores and joins her dad in the living room where he sits on his favorite seat reading his newspaper. 

Awinja goes to the bookshelf to look for something interesting to read. 

She finds a photo album tucked way back behind some books. 

She pulls it out and settles to look at the pictures. She doesn’t remember ever seeing this album before. 

“Dad, who is this?”Awinja asks, bringing the photo album to her father. 

It was a photo of her father in a graduation gown shaking hands with an older man. Her father looks about fifteen years old in the photo.

“Oh, this. Aaaaahh I remember this day like it was yesterday. It was a special day, my classmates and I were feted for finishing primary school.” Dad begins.

“This older guy was the chief of our village in Yala City in Siaya County. The great Odera Akang’o! He loved education and had come to celebrate with us the graduates.” Dad narrates proudly.

“Dad those gowns…” Awinja says with a grimace.

Awinja’s dad laughs heartily and says, “you don’t like them? The gowns were handmade specially for us.” Awinja’s dad continues to explain that the chief was so proud of their achievement that he followed up on their progress to secondary school.

Chief Akang’o was passionate about education and checked on all students in his village to ensure they went to school. Those that dropped out of school were taken to a prison. Awinja thinks this is cruel. As they continue to talk, Awinja turns to the next picture.

“There we are again now graduating from secondary school,” dad explains. “You know after secondary school I went to see if that prison of school dropouts really existed,” dad adds.

“And…what did you find?” Awinja asks.

It wasn’t really real, Chief Akang’o used the rumor as a way to keep kids in school. He was such a champion for education that the Moi University Campus in Yala was later named for him.” Dad concludes. 

“It sounds like Chief Akang’o influenced many in Siaya; they now have a Jaramongi Oginga University ” Awinja says as she turns to the next picture.

After secondary school my friends and I decided to tour all of Siaya County,” dad explains. 

“What are some of the sites you visited dad? Awinja asks.

“River Yala, River Nzoia, Lake Kanyaboli and Yala swamp, but the Yala swamp is no longer there. The papyrus plant has overgrown, and now it’s the largest papyrus swamp in Kenya.” He says.

The next picture shows her dad by the river banks standing near a structure with fish that was hung to dry. 

“Did you ever go fishing?” Awinja asks.

“No, I didn’t enjoy it but I was really good at eating the freshly caught and fried fish,” he laughingly says.

“I would like to visit the Siaya County sites, maybe we should go as a family.” Awinja suggests.

“If you improve your grades at school, we might go during the holiday,” father says with a twinkle in his eye.

“Can we go to Bondo too?” Awinja asks.

“Yes. I will take you to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s mausoleum and the cultural museum of Siaya. Then later, we can hike the Ndanu Falls.” Dad agrees.

“Yay!” Awinja celebrates as she returns the album to the shelf.