Historical texts mention J. A. Oginga Odinga as a prominent figure in Kenya’s arduous journey to self-rule. He is thereafter remembered as the country’s first Vice-President, and later as an opposition party leader. The lesser-known achievement of this historical figure is that he was one of the champions of African entrepreneurship. And he did so at a time when racial segregation was the norm, and African rights were ignored. He also used print journalism to achieve this feat. 

The Dawn of Nationalism 

It all began in 1922 when the Luo Union was formed in Nairobi. Around this time, several associations had or were in the process of being formed across Kenya. More Africans were identifying as nationalists, but there was still insufficient unity among ethnic communities such as the Luo. This Union’s slogan was Riwruok E Teko, which translates to Unity in Strength. The mandate was to unite the community and be the people’s representation to the colonial authorities. 

Then in 1945, as Africans began to imagine a liberated people, and subsequently a nation, there came the need to form an economic arm of the union. The mission was to empower African entrepreneurship while creating job opportunities for Africans. And so the Luo Thrift and Trading Corporation (LUTATCO) came to be. Under this Corporation came the establishment of businesses, with the pioneer one being Maseno Store and the second Ramogi Press.  

Empowering Africans 

Understanding that running a business and hiring the right human resource was no easy feat, the Corporation used a slow hire approach and headhunted the best in the print industry at the time. Achieng’ Oneko who was a key member of the Luo Union at LUTATCO served as Editor in Chief and spearheaded the logistics of acquiring printing press material. He also onboarded Zablon Oti (a former employee of the Colonial Printing Press) as Managing Editor and Chief of Staff. Recruits would then go through a vigorous training process that aptly prepared them for their respective roles.  

Once recruitment and training were complete, Ramogi Press began publishing a weekly newspaper titled Ramogi. Ramogi would be a news journal that accentuated the Luo Union’s work while still strictly advocating for the Luo people’s rights. Running a business that had an undertone of criticising colonialism was no easy feat. In fact, the business had to constantly borrow money to remain afloat. Somehow though, the Ramogi Press team decided to produce a second newspaper which was named The Nyanza Times. Later, smaller news journals that would cater to other ethnic groups were in print. Among these were Mumenyereri (a weekly Kikuyu newspaper), Radio Posta, and Afrika (Kiswahili papers). 

Playing Both Sides? 

In the late forties, Oginga shifted the head office of Ramogi Press to present-day Accra Street in Kisumu. The next move was to set up more businesses under the umbrella. As the business created more job opportunities for Kenyans, it also attracted a lot of advertisers, which did well for profitability. Unfortunately, the business started being financially backed by colonial officials, and the news trajectory took a turn. The mission shifted to enhance literacy among the Luo while advocating for African etiquette, especially in public. This was a strategic move to stay in the good graces of the colonial officials… but some may ask, at what cost? Still, the print business grew, and more Luo print journalism professionals and nationalists took over the work the pioneer Africans had started. 

While many printing presses were shut down during the eight-year State of Emergency, Ramogi Press stayed active by virtue of being aligned with the Europeans. Two decades later, in the early eighties, President Moi’s government outlawed ethnic associations and because the Luo Union fell within this category, Ramogi Press could no longer publish news and so the business shifted its full focus to printing and selling stationery. The Union then focused on the development of cultural activities. 

A trip to Kisumu CBD today isn’t complete without a visit to the former Ramogi Press offices, which stand as a reminder of not only Oginga and Oneko’s vision but their dedication to empowering Africans through advocating for business skills and creating economic opportunities. 

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