The Role of Oromo Kinship Structure in maintaining Gada System as Indigenous Democratic Governance: The Case of Guji Oromo, Southern Ethiopia

2023-12-28T05:59:54+00:00

Oromo, the largest populated nation in Ethiopia, are known for their remarkable indigenous democratic governance system known as ‘Sirna Gada’, denoted hereafter as Gada System. It was created hundreds of years before the inexistence of modern democracy and has been in effect since then being the omnipotent governor of their entire socio-economic and political courses, religious activities, and environmental administration rules. The system has its informal organizational structures and administrative units that are designed based on Oromo kinship structure, and thereby, play different roles in the rule of law, power exercise check and balance, and rules of power obtaining between the different parties once in each every eight years cycle. Therefore, identifying these kinship structures and their roles in maintaining the overall effectiveness of the governance system is crucial to understanding Gada system; which is the aim of this study. Accordingly, this study is employed qualitative research approach based on the data gathered from key informant interview and focus group discussion that sampled by purposely sampling and technique employed with the relevant experienced participants of Guji Oromo. The results are drawn by analyzing the obtained data using the contextual and thematic interpretation. Thus, there were well-designed kinship structures in the Guji Oromo Gada system having different roles with fairly distributed power and responsibilities across the horizontal and vertical hierarchical Guji-Oromo Gada system administrative structures. Accordingly, the power of Gada system started from the divine authority of from God termed as ‘Waqa Guracha’, recognized as the source of all power and authority who punish disobedient and injustice doers; hereby identified as the means for the enforcement of the rule of law that embedded in the heart every Oromo as eternal believes. Qalu, is the first and a supreme body on the earth as in structure of Gada system, believed to be an inherently anointed and as God-chosen man that he sent from the heaven from the constant royal family of the Obbitu clan. He serves as spiritual leader and acts as intermediator between God and people; who authorize the appointment of the supreme leader, Abba Gada, in Gada governance system. Abba Gada is a politician leader who elected from the periodical political party out of the five kinship-based party classes, called ‘Fincan Shan’ (the five parties). The Abba Gada power term is eight year with no possibility of re-election and extension for the next term for both the leader and his party. The power thereby rotates between these five parties in a predetermined sequential order at every eight years period; hence there is no competition between parties at a time – just aimed to avoid influences of ruling party on the fairness of election. It, therefore, regulates the check and balance in the Gada power by using the Oromo kinship structures, namely: Moiety, Misensa, Gogessa, Wolana, and Kadaddu to make the system more maintaining democratic governance through using the indigenous ways of Check and Balance system.

Assessments of Raw Milk and Dairy Products Safety and Quality in Ethiopia; Review

2024-01-02T05:57:52+00:00

Ethiopian dairy products are not sufficient; their quality, safety, and demand are not compatible with the supply. The objective of this review is to assess dairy and dairy product handling and safety, as well as factors affecting dairy and dairy product quality and dairy cattle production in Ethiopia. There are different challenges, centrally lack of quality and safe feed, a lack of sufficient and clean water, a lack of genetic improvement (AI), a lack of clinical service, and a lack of milk handling infrastructure. Further, lack of credit service, lack of agricultural extension, large household size, lack of health extension, lack of quality and safety production awareness, lack of awareness of proper milk consumption and shortcoming of culture related to milk consumption, and lack of different problem solver research related to milk production will be weak regulatory of milk safety and quality standards for meeting worldwide country interest for export. And a weak value chain. Ethiopian country-wide milk has been consumed in different forms. Different milk handling mechanisms are affecting milk quality and safety. Recommendations from the government, especially the Minister of Agriculture and Agricultural Research Institute, should focus on applied research that solves milk quality and safety problems, raise awareness for all types of dairy farms, and should establish dairy standards. Likewise, the Ministry of Agriculture is associated with other concerned organizations to facilitate credit service, improved feed, clean and sufficient water, AI service, animal health service, and milk handling infrastructure.

Journal of Indigenous Knowledge and Development Studies

The Role of Oromo Kinship Structure in maintaining Gada System as Indigenous Democratic Governance: The Case of Guji Oromo, Southern Ethiopia

Assessments of Raw Milk and Dairy Products Safety and Quality in Ethiopia; Review