Ochola Ogaye Mak'Anyengo, also known as George Philip Ochola (1930–1990) was a

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trade unionist and Member of Parliament for Ndhiwa, South Nyanza,

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.Makers of a nation. Ochola Mak'Anyengo the men and women in Kenya's history. DVD, Video Disc. A Nation Media Group/Kenya History & Biographies Co. Ltd. co-production ; written, produced and directed by Hilary Ng'weno. Available From: https://iucat.iu.edu/iub/13727400 He was involved in the fight for Kenya's independence and was a beneficiary of the Mboya-Kennedy airlifts.Kenya, the National Epic: From the Pages of Drum Magazine By Garth Bundeh and James R. A. Bailey East African Publishers, 1993Airlift to America: How Barack Obama Sr., John F. Kennedy, Tom Mboya, and 800 East African Students Changed Their World and Ours by Tom Shachtman. St. Martin's Press (15 September 2009)Kenyan Student Airlifts to America 1959-1961: An Educational Odyssey By Stephens, Robert F. East African Educational Publishers (Jan, 2014)

Early life and education

George Philip Ochola (later known as Ochola Ogaye Mak’Anyengo) was born in 1930 in South Nyanza,

Kenya Colony The Colony and Protectorate of Kenya, commonly known as British Kenya or British East Africa, was part of the British Empire in Africa. It was established when the former East Africa Protectorate was transformed into a British Crown colony in ...

, to Yohana Anyengo, a Licensed Minister in the

Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...

- Ranen Field and Rael Ogondi. He completed his primary school education at Kamagambo Mission School and high school at Kisii Secondary School. Ochola first worked as a teacher before he worked as a freight dispatcher with the East African Railway and Harbour Administration. He left this job because of its low pay - 330 shillings a month. He then became a pump service and retail clerk with Kenya Shell Oil Company Ltd. He was then selected for a management trainee course at Kenya Shell Oil Company Ltd in 1954 in Nairobi.Union Problems in Developing Countries by Ochola Mak’Anyengo. IUD Digest. 1962 Available from the Wayne State University Library https://reuther.wayne.edu/node/4616International Transport Workers Journal, Volumes 21-22, publisher: International Transport Workers' Federation, 1961; Cornell University Ochola was a beneficiary of the Mboya-Kennedy Airlifts. This was an initiative thought of by

Tom Mboya Thomas Joseph Odhiambo Mboya (15August 19305July 1969) was a Kenyan trade unionist, educator, Pan-Africanist, author, independence activist, and statesman. He was one of the founding fathers of the Republic of Kenya.Kenya Human Rights Commissio ...

and William X. Scheinman in order to address the colossal educational challenges facing Kenya. Kenya was agitating for independence from Britain but was plagued by a severe shortfall of African human capital. Opportunities for further education after high school for Africans were severely limited. The colonial government had feared that if a critical mass of educated Africans existed, they would demand greater participation in their own governance. Through the airlift program, several hundred Kenyans and other East Africans obtained scholarships to study in the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

with the support of

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

, the African American Students Foundation (AASF) and prominent

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

including

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line ...

Sidney Poitier Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive ...

and

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

Ochola had been elected as the Secretary General of the newly formed Petroleum and Oil workers Union and therefore had to negotiate labour contracts with international oil companies. This was a major challenge for him given his lack of experience and further education.

encouraged him to apply for the airlift program. Like many of the applicants for the airlift program, Ochola had to apply to several colleges and universities before he finally got accepted by the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

. He attended the African Labour College in

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

for a preparatory course before flying to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. Supported by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL-CIO), he obtained a diploma in Industrial Labour Relations from the

. While he was studying there, the local branch of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic workers Union helped him find part time work at the Corn Products Refining Company in

Summit, Illinois Summit is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,161 at the 2020 census. The name Summit, in use since 1836, refers to the highest point on the Chicago Portage between the northeast-flowing Chicago River and the s ...

, to pay for his upkeep.

Politics and Trade Unionism

Independence struggle and civil rights activities

While working at Kenya Shell Company Limited, George Philip Ochola became involved in the struggle for Kenya’s independence. He was a member of the

Nairobi People’s Convention Party The Nairobi People's Convention Party (NPCP) was a Nairobi based political party formed in 1957 by Tom Mboya. This party played a crucial role in the fight for Kenya's independence. Despite attempts at suppression from the colonial government, t ...

(NPCP), led by

. The

Mau Mau rebellion The Mau Mau rebellion (1952–1960), also known as the Mau Mau uprising, Mau Mau revolt or Kenya Emergency, was a war in the British Kenya Colony (1920–1963) between the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA), also known as the ''Mau Mau'', ...

had been suppressed and political activity by Africans was discouraged by the colonial government. This party became the only effectively organised and legal African nationalist party in Kenya.

Jomo Kenyatta Jomo Kenyatta (22 August 1978) was a Kenyan anti-colonial activist and politician who governed Kenya as its Prime Minister from 1963 to 1964 and then as its first President from 1964 to his death in 1978. He was the country's first indigenous ...

had been imprisoned on charges that he led the Mau Mau movement. This party took up the call for the release of Kenyatta following the lead by

Oginga Odinga Jaramogi Ajuma Oginga Odinga (October 1911 – 20 January 1994) was a Luo chieftain who became a prominent figure in Kenya's struggle for independence. He later served as Kenya's first Vice-President, and thereafter as opposition leader. Odinga ...

. The colonial government continually harassed party members and attempted to crush the party by arresting several members in March 1959 in what was the biggest round-up since the

Mau Mau emergency The Mau Mau rebellion (1952–1960), also known as the Mau Mau uprising, Mau Mau revolt or Kenya Emergency, was a war in the British Kenya Colony (1920–1963) between the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA), also known as the ''Mau Mau'', an ...

. The state of emergency regulations drafted for the Mau Mau emergency were used to subjugate this party. George Philip Ochola stepped into a prominent leadership role following this round-up and his efforts ensured that the party continued to increase in size and popularity. At the

, George Philip Ochola, now often referred to as Ochola Mak’Anyengo, was a student leader of the All Africa Student Association."Funeral March Held Sunday for Lumumba". The Daily Chronicle (De Kalb, Illinois) Monday, 13 March 1961 page 10 Available from: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15272470/funeral-march-held-for-lumumba This was at the height of the

civil rights movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...

in United States of America and anti-colonial movement in Africa. Mak'Anyengo published an article titled "Why Mau Mau" in

Liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...

, a publication which engaged with anticolonial struggles in Africa. Following the assassination of

Patrice Lumumba Patrice Émery Lumumba (; 2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic of the Congo) from June u ...

, the first democratically elected leader of the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

, Mak'Anyengo led a peaceful protest along Michigan Avenue in March 1961 which was met by counter protesters.

President John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until assassination of Joh ...

started the

Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F. ...

in February 1961 with the official aim of encouraging mutual understanding between

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many Multi ...

and other nations and states.JFK Library. Peace Corps. Available from https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/peace-corps Foreign students in the

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

area had divergent opinions regarding the intentions and usefulness of the program.Students Tell View on Peace Corps Plans. Chicago Tribune. Saturday 15 April 1961. Page 7. Available from https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/374621963 Ochola Mak'Anyengo was quoted in an article published in the

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

saying "It is pointless to extend the arm of friendship to my country when a group of United States citizens, descendants of Africans, have no friendship here. Your best peace corps to African nations would be to improve the racial situation in America." In September 1964, a delegation of the

Organisation of African Unity The Organisation of African Unity (OAU; french: Organisation de l'unité africaine, OUA) was an intergovernmental organization established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 32 signatory governments. One of the main heads for OAU's ...

arrived in Washington to seek an audience with President Johnson to discuss the American military assistance given to

Moise Tshombe Moise is a given name and surname, with differing spellings in its French and Romanian origins, both of which originate from the name Moses: Moïse is the French spelling of Moses, while Moise is the Romanian spelling. As a surname, Moisè and Mo ...

, the Premier of Congo. Ochola was quoted in the press warning that massive workers demonstrations against the American embassy and Americans in Kenya would occur if President Johnson did not meet the delegation. According to the press, he stated: "The time has come when Africans must resist the Americans’ stupid idea of looking on Africans as inferior people who cannot judge for themselves what is good or bad for them. The sons and daughters of Africans must arise to resist by all means American Imperialism and colonialism."

Trade Unionism and Politics

Before travelling to Chicago, Ochola Mak’Anyengo was elected to head the Petroleum and Oil workers Union soon after completion of the management trainee course with Kenya Shell Company Limited. After obtaining his Diploma from the University of Chicago, he returned to Kenya and took up several trade union positions.Western-Educated Elites in Kenya, 1900-1963: The African American Factor By Jim C. Harper. Routledge; 1 edition (10 September 2012) These include the Office of the Secretary-General of the Kenya African Workers Union, the Office of Vice-President of the Africa Chapter of the International Federation of Petroleum Workers, the Office of the Secretary-General of Railways and Harbours Union and the Office of the Assistant Secretary General of the All Africa Trade Union Federation. Mak'Anyengo was also appointed to the Ministry of Labour Advisory Board in March 1963. As a member of this advisory board, he was involved in the development of the National Social Security Fund. This government agency, tasked with managing retirement funds for employees, was established in 1965 through an act of parliament. Mak'Anyengo was a founding member of the Kenya People's Union (K.P.U.), a left leaning opposition party that was led by

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Jaramogi Ajuma Oginga Odinga (October 1911 – 20 January 1994) was a Luo (Kenya), Luo chieftain who became a prominent figure in Kenya's struggle for independence. He later served as Kenya's first Vice-President of Kenya, Vice-President, and t ...

. This was during the

cold war The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, when Kenya was a stage for a proxy ideological battle between the

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

and eastern blocs. Although Kenya was a member of the

non aligned movement The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide. The movement originated in the aftermath o ...

, cold war ideological divisions became enmeshed with local politics.

Bildad Kaggia Bildad Mwaganu Kaggia (1921 – 7 March 2005) was a Kenyan nationalist, activist, and politician. Kaggia was a member of the Mau Mau Central Committee. After independence he became a Member of Parliament. He established himself as a militant, fi ...

Pio Gama Pinto Pio Gama Pinto (31 March 1927 – 24 February 1965) was a Kenyan journalist, politician and freedom fighter. He was a socialist leader who dedicated his life to the liberation of the Kenyan people and became independent Kenya's first martyr in ...

Achieng Oneko Ramogi Achieng Oneko (1920–2007) was a Kenyan freedom fighter and a politician. In Kenya, he is considered as a national hero. He was born in Tieng'a village in Uyoma sub-location in Bondo District in 1920 and educated at Maseno School. Det ...

, Dennis Akumu and Ochola Mak’Anyengo were among those who voiced concerns relating to corruption in government and increasing western influence in the country. They promised to pursue policies that would benefit all Kenyans but these were criticised as being radical.Birth of a Nation. The Story of a Newspaper in Kenya by Gerard Loughran 2010

Pio Gama Pinto Assassination

was a Kenyan of Goan descent. He was a freedom fighter who was detained during the colonial period. He was also Jaramogi Odinga’s chief tactician and link to the eastern bloc. He was assassinated on 25 February 1965 in what is recognised as Kenya’s first political assassination.Pio Gama Pinto: Kenya's Unsung Martyr. 1927-1965 By Shiraz Durrani. Vita Books, October 2018 The report of the truth, justice and reconciliation commission (2013) concluded that the Kenyatta government was responsible for numerous gross violations of human rights including the political assassination of Pio Gama Pinto. Ochola Mak'Anyengo was briefly arrested following accusations that he had hired men to frighten Pinto ostensibly because Pinto was his trade-union rival. One of these men ended up assassinating Pinto. These charges were dropped when one of the accused assassins denied having met Mak'Anyengo.

Detention without trial

In August 1966 Ochola Mak'Anyengo was arrested together with other leaders of the K.P.U. and detained without trial for several years. Those arrested included Oginga Odinga’s private secretary Oluande Koduol, the general secretary of the East African Common Services Civil Servants Union, Peter Ooko. Mak'Anyengo was imprisoned until July 1968. Upon release, he was unanimously re-elected, by popular vote, to continue heading the Petroleum and Oil Workers Union. On 25 October 1969, a major incident occurred in

Kisumu Kisumu ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Kenya by population, third-largest city in Kenya after the capital, Nairobi, and the coastal city of Mombasa (census 2019). It is the third-largest city after Kampala and Mwanza in the Lake Victor ...

town, the capital of

Nyanza Province Nyanza Province (; sw, Mkoa wa Nyanza) was one of Kenya's Provinces of Kenya, eight administrative provinces before the formation of the Counties of Kenya, 47 counties under the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 constitution. Six counties were organis ...

. President Jomo Kenyatta attended the inauguration of the New Nyanza Provincial Hospital.

, a popular leader amongst the resident Luo community, had been assassinated on 5 July 1969 and as a result, political tensions were high. A demonstration ensued during the inauguration which led to the deaths of at least 11 civilians in the hands of police, by official accounts. Other estimates placed the death toll at closer to 100 men, women and children, some of whom were shot up to away from the demonstrations. This incident is often referred to as the Kisumu massacre. The Kenya People's Union (K.P.U.) was banned following this incident. Several party members, including Mak'Anyengo, were arrested on 27 October 1969. This was his second detention without trial.

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

ran a campaign - postcards for prisoners - to publicise his imprisonment without trial. In June 1970, Mak'Anyengo announced his intention to go on hunger strike to protest his imprisonment. In August 1970, several of those detained were released but Mak'Anyengo was held in prison until March 1974. Despite the official allegation, that he acted illegally against the government at the time of his arrest, Mak'Anyengo was never formally charged or tried for any wrongdoing. No evidence was ever brought forward to support the imprisonment.

Return to Trade Unionism and Politics

Following his release, he eventually returned to trade unionism and politics. Mak’Anyengo successfully ran for the office of secretary general of the Railways and Harbours Union in 1981. In 1983, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for

Ndhiwa Constituency Ndhiwa Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of eight constituencies in Homa Bay County Homa Bay County is a county in the former Nyanza Province of Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Homa Bay. The county has a pop ...

on a K.A.N.U. (Kenya African National Union) party ticket. During this period he was the Assistant Minister for Health, Assistant-minister for Culture and Social Services and Assistant-minister for foreign affairs.

Death

Ochola Mak'Anyengo died in 1990 while in office following a short illness.

Legacy

A eulogy delivered at the start of a parliamentary house meeting following his death described him as a veteran trade unionist and renowned freedom fighter with a notable sense of humour and debating skills. It was stated: "His contribution to the national development, devotion to serving his constituents and his dedication to the ruling party Kanu all speak for themselves."Kenya National Assembly Official Record (Hansard) 1 Nov 1990 Available from: https://books.google.co.ke/books/about/Kenya_National_Assembly_Official_Record.html

Publications

* Why Mau Mau by George Philip Ochola. Liberation. January 1960. Available from the University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign. Digitised 9 March 2011 * Union Problems in Developing Countries by Ochola Mak’Anyengo. IUD Digest. 1962 Available from the Wayne State University Library. https://reuther.wayne.edu/node/4616 * How Politics Affect the Role of the Trade Union Leaders in Developing Countries by Ochola Ogaye Mak'Anyengo, Vice-President International Federation of Petroleum Workers. Petro. International Federation of Petroleum Workers 1963. From Cornell University Digitised 11 July 2011

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mak'Anyengo, Ochola Ogaye 1930 births 1990 deaths Kenyan trade union leaders Kenya African National Union politicians Kenya People's Union politicians Kenyan socialists Kenyan pan-Africanists African revolutionaries