Luo Council of Elders (Ker) Chairman Willis Opiyo Otondi has died at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu.
The cause of the 98-year-old long-serving tribal chief has not been established yet.
Otondi, the ninth chairman of the Luo Council of Elders, is a native of Nyahera in the Kisumu West Sub-County and has presided over the Luo people's traditional government for more than ten years.
He was a leader in mobilizing the Luo people to promote peaceful coexistence with other communities. He once guided the Council of elders on an eleven-day journey in South Sudan, where President Salva Kiir hosted them to trace their ancestry.
Throughout his administration, he promoted the community's socioeconomic, cultural, and political interests in addition to connecting with other elders and leaders across the nation to promote a sense of national unity.
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However, his reign was also characterized by battles over the leadership for many years with a rival faction led by Nyandiko Ongadi, who hails from Homa Bay, pushing to have the kingpin title.
The ownership of Ofafa Memorial Hall, where the offices of the Otondi-led Council are located, has been a source of additional contention.
In a statement by the Azimio leader Raila Odinga, he condoled with the family, saying Kenya has lost a distinguished member of the society.
"Ker Willis Otondi's passing has left us with a heavy heart; it is a great loss for the wider Luo nation. Kenya has lost a distinguished member of society. Sad for the Luo nation to lose him at this moment," he said.
On his part, Kisumu County Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong'o described Ker Otondi as a peace ambassador and family patriarch in his eulogy.
"Ker Otondi will be remembered for his political wisdom and rare negotiation skills that have helped the community to build bridges with other regions in the country," he said.
He continued by saying that the late Otondi was wise and a strong protector of the political, cultural, and economic interests of the Luo community.
The idea of the Luo Ker was created by Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who was also the first Ker, during the creation of the Luo Union in 1947. It was established to bring together all East Africans of Luo ethnicity.
According to the customs of the Luo Council of Elders, Odinga resigned from his position in 1957 to enter politics at the federal level, which allowed for the election of another tribal chief.
The Luo Council of Elders also plays other functions, such as settling cultural conflicts that influence the populace, mediating new disputes, and blessing people like politicians and ordinary citizens.
The Council also imposes sanctions on people who violate Luo traditions and culture.
