RPIO-0.10.0-py3.5-linux-armv7l.egg SystemError: This module can only be run on a Raspberry Pi!

[ab1vl]

Installed above using:
sudo apt-get install python-setuptools
$ sudo easy_install -U RPIO
from RPIO install instructions for Raspberry Pi

SystemError: This module can only be run on a Raspberry Pi!

Pi 3B+ running Stretch with latest update/upgrades. The above is parsed from the python error line generated by trying to import RPIO.PWM. I also tried appending an explicit path extension in Mu editor but that failed as well.

[ab1vl]

Additional finding: trying to run rpio-curses on same Pi 3B+:
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ rpio-curses
Script not started as root. Running sudo...
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/bin/rpio-curses", line 4, in
import('pkg_resources').run_script('RPIO==0.10.0', 'rpio-curses')
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/dist-packages/pkg_resources/init.py", line 666, in run_script
self.require(requires)[0].run_script(script_name, ns)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/dist-packages/pkg_resources/init.py", line 1446, in run_script
exec(code, namespace, namespace)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/dist-packages/RPIO-0.10.0-py3.5-linux-armv7l.egg/EGG-INFO/scripts/rpio-curses", line 74, in
import RPIO
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/dist-packages/RPIO-0.10.0-py3.5-linux-armv7l.egg/RPIO/init.py", line 115, in
import RPIO._GPIO as _GPIO
SystemError: This module can only be run on a Raspberry Pi!
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo rpio-curses
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/bin/rpio-curses", line 4, in
import('pkg_resources').run_script('RPIO==0.10.0', 'rpio-curses')
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/dist-packages/pkg_resources/init.py", line 666, in run_script
self.require(requires)[0].run_script(script_name, ns)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/dist-packages/pkg_resources/init.py", line 1446, in run_script
exec(code, namespace, namespace)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/dist-packages/RPIO-0.10.0-py3.5-linux-armv7l.egg/EGG-INFO/scripts/rpio-curses", line 74, in
import RPIO
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/dist-packages/RPIO-0.10.0-py3.5-linux-armv7l.egg/RPIO/init.py", line 115, in
import RPIO._GPIO as _GPIO
SystemError: This module can only be run on a Raspberry Pi!

probably same root cause but perhaps an additional clue