03/06/2025
Joab Henry Onyango Omino, a one time grand master of the freemason society in Kenya, permanent secretary, mp for Kisumu, deputy speaker of the Kenya National Assembly and Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs.
He was also a very talented footballer who played for Kenya and Uganda national football teams at different times.
He was educated at Makerere College, 1959-1961 and Cambridge University, 1963-1964. He later served as Executive Trainee, Standard Bank Limited, Kenya, 1961.Admin Officer, Provincial Administration Government of Kenya, 1962-1963.
Secretary, Central Bank of Kenya; Under Secretary in the Office of the President and later in the Ministry of Economic Planning, Kenya, 1967-1968.
Member, United Nations Environment Program Governing Council 1972. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Natural Resources, Kenya 1972. Chairman, National Environment Committee, Kenya.
He was a very close confidante of Raila Odinga and was one of the founders of LDP. I once heard him speak at a rally in Kisumu. Moi had just settled on Uhuru Kenyatta as his preferred successor much to the chagrin of Raila's allies. Omino in reference to Moi would shout at the crowd, "Ayanynu gee?" to which the crowd would respond "eeeh". Then he would say "Rayuomni".
When he died the Anglican Church of which he was a strong member refused to preside over his funeral and cancelled his funeral service at All Saints Cathedral because he was a freemason.
Although criticised as satanic, Freemasonry as a society prides itself in building character and supporting members as individuals. According to the society these foundations allow members to develop themselves from increased self-confidence to transferable skills.
