Nairobi: The Abasuba community in Homa Bay County has installed Elder Nelson Ochieng Ounga as the new Chairman of the Abasuba Council of Elders, bringing an end to a leadership vacuum that persisted for over a year.
According to Kenya News Agency, Ounga was inaugurated as the community’s cultural leader, known as the Omugambi, during a ceremony held at the council’s offices in Sindo Town, Suba Central Sub-County, over the weekend. The leadership position had been vacant following the death of the former Chairman, Thomas Asango, who passed away last year while in office.
The inauguration ceremony brought together elders from regions inhabited by the Suba community, including Suba Central, Suba South, Suba West, and Mbita sub-counties. Ounga succeeds the late Asango and the late Apollo Okeyo, who both previously served as chairmen of the council.
Speaking after his inauguration, Ounga expressed his commitment to providing fair and impartial leadership while fostering unity and development within the Abasuba community. “I thank all the Abasuba elders for giving me this opportunity. It is not because I am better than my predecessors, but I will put my best efforts to serve the community,” he stated.
Ounga also promised to adopt a consultative approach in managing the community’s affairs and to respect the democratic rights of its members. “I will lead the community by respecting their democratic rights to ensure we achieve our objectives as a community,” he said.
With the country approaching the 2027 General Election, Ounga assured community members that the council would maintain neutrality and allow individuals to exercise their political rights without coercion. “Every member of the community has the right to support a political party or candidate of their choice. The council will not coerce its members to support any candidate,” he affirmed.
He emphasized that the council’s focus would be on promoting peace, unity, and peaceful coexistence among community members during the election period. Joab Ikawa, Secretary of the Kaksingri Council of Elders, urged the new Omugambi to unite the Abasuba community and guide members seeking elective positions. “We have our sons and daughters who are vying for various elective seats. I urge our Omugambi, Elder Ounga, to give the right guidance in a manner that cannot polarize our community,” Ikawa said.
Elder Samuel Angugo called on council members to support Ounga and collaborate to further the community’s development agenda. “Let us all be united as elders and champion the development agenda of the Abasuba,” Angugo encouraged.
