In 1915, prominent colonial chief Odera Akang’o made a trip to Uganda. The trip would years later transform his Gem constituency in Siaya County.
Chief Akang’o had been invited to Uganda, alongside his counterparts from Western Kenya, for the consecration of the Namirembe Cathedral.
He, however, caused a stir at some point when he went before King Kabaka Mutesa of Buganda Kingdom.
As renowned historian Prof Bethwel Ogot would put it, the colonial chief refused to acknowledge the King by kneeling down and simply saluted, a move that angered the royalty, but clearly showed what type of a person he was, firm and authoritarian who believed nobody was above him.
All this while, all the chiefs from Kenya were on their knees. Akang’o insisted that Kabaka was ‘just a chief like him’.
Read: Gem, the gem of Siaya
However, he was impressed with how British education had improved the mannerisms of young school-going children who were also able to read and write.
Armed with the lessons from Uganda, Chief would later transform the village where the former Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha was born. The village would later produce professors and scholars.
In 1915, Chief Akang’o decided to forcefully enroll children to compulsory primary education.
“He noticed that religion, education and infrastructure were good things he wanted to implement back home. That is why he introduced free compulsory primary education in Gem,” said Prof Ogot during an interview.
He would inspect all homes and parents whose children were not in school would be arrested and caned.
Relatives of the late Chief Odera Akang’o at their home in Gem, Siaya County on December 10, 2020. Chief Kang’o is said to have pushed for formal education in Gem which has produced several professors and academicians over the years.
When Nation visited relatives of the colonial chief, his great grandson George Nyamwanga said that his great grandfather had inculcated an education culture in Gem.
He said that the establishment of St Mary’s School, Yala was a result of the learning culture that his great grandfather had inculcated in the community.
He revealed that most professors hail from his Kagola clan.
A rough count of current and deceased professors in the area seems to give credence to the legend
Professor Ogot’s home is just a few meters from Prof Magoha’s. His son Prof Madara Ogot is also a lecturer at the University of Nairobi.
Gem boasts of being the home to the composer of Kenya’s National Anthem. Prof Washington Ambrose Omondi is Associate Professor of Music and Dance, School of Visual and Performing Arts at Kenyatta University.
The famous Mathematician Carey Francis who taught the late Professor David Simon Wasawo at Alliance High School described the don as the most brilliant student he had ever taught.
Alliance High School alumni Prof Jacob Ogweno Midiwo who was born in Mabinju village in Gem also rose from a humble background to attain the highest standard of education at University of Maryland, College Park, USA to pursue PhD in Organic Chemistry, researching on fungal mycotoxins with potential in cancer chemotherapy.
The late Prof John Kokwaro who died in December 2018 was a renowned African botanist of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Born in Gem Kathomo, Prof Joseph Awange who studied at the University of Nairobi and obtained Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Surveying. He has studied in different countries including Germany, Japan and Australia.
His achievements include the development of computer algebra software for solving Global Positioning System-N point problem, Global Positioning System codes.
Prof Othuon Ayado who acquired PhD in Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methods from the University of British Columbia also comes from Gem.
While Argwings Kodhek did not attain the university academic of the highest rank, the man from Gem Malanga became Kenya’s first African lawyer to be admitted to the English bar.
Kodhek was the first Kenyan to open a private law firm in 1957 at the height of Mau Mau resistance.
Apart from education, Prof Ogot also stated that Chief Akang’o introduced agriculture.
Prof Ogot said that all people were expected to work on their farms before going to the market. Those who were found at the marketplace in the morning would be punished.
The ambitious chief, who was born in Nyamninia District Gem in Siaya County, had his own private police force whose role was to inspect farms and report cases of laziness.
Those who did not work on their farms would either be beaten or fined for being unproductive.
At one time, he arrested a district commissioner for visiting his area without a letter from the governor. |This did not go well with the British.
Akang’o was arrested and detained in Kismayu. He was allegedly murdered a day after he was released.
It is believed that he was killed by the British for fear that he would cause a revolution in Luo Nyanza
“Up to now, we are still looking for where his body is buried. He is said to have been very strong. As he was being taken to prison he sang in Dholuo “Piny to marwa, kata unega, kata utima nade, thuon okru, Jomoko biro mane oriembu (This land is ours whether you kill me or harm me. Some people will one day come after me and evict you from this land),” Prof Ogot said.
While his death remains mysterious, his spirit is evident in every village in Gem. Thanks to the push for education under his reign, there are many professors in the region.
Besides promoting education, Akang’o insisted that every homestead had to plant trees and bananas.
Prof Magoha’s home in Umiru village is surrounded by trees.
Professor George Magoha’s home in Umiru, Siaya County.
“Magoha valued trees to an extent that if there was a funeral or an event in his home, he would rather buy firewood than fell one of his own. In fact his farm has more than two million trees,” said Mr Francis Odhiambo, Prof Magoha’s foreman for over 15 years.
The colonial chief’s cells popularly known as ‘Odera Akang’o cells’ however remain neglected despite the Siaya County government allocating funds every financial year for its renovation.
At some point, the project was started by a contractor, with Sh4 million set aside to construct it, but nothing was done. Another contractor was brought and money slotted was Sh2, 900, 000 yet not much has been done. BY DAILY NATION