The Luo of Kenya and Tanzania are a Nilotic ethnic group native to
western Kenya
After the 2013 general election, and the coming into effect of the new constitution, provinces became defunct and the country was now divided into 47 counties. Each county has its own government and therefore there is no central regional cap ...
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
in
East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historica ...
. The Luo are the fourth-largest ethnic group (10.65%) in Kenya, after the
Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language.
It may also refer to:
*Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya
*Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people
*Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Centr ...
(17.13%), the
Luhya Luhya or Abaluyia may refer to:
* Luhya people
* Luhya language
Luhya (; also Luyia, Luhia or Luhiya) is a Bantu language of western Kenya.
Dialects
The various Luhya tribes speak several related languages and dialects, though some of them ar ...
(14.35%) and the Kalenjin (13.37%). The Tanzanian Luo population was estimated at 1.1 million in 2001 and 3.4 million in 2020. They are part of a larger group of related Luo peoples who inhabit an area ranging from
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of th ...
, southwestern
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, northern and eastern
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
,
Chad
Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
,
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, northeastern
Congo-Kinshasa
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 ...
, southwestern
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
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, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
and northern
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
.
They speak the Luo language, also known as ''Dholuo'', which belongs to the Western Nilotic branch of the Nilotic language family. Dholuo shares considerable lexical similarity with languages spoken by other Luo peoples.Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Nilotic". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
The Luo are descended from migrants who moved into western Kenya from Uganda between the 15th and 20th centuries in four waves. These migrants were closely related to Luo peoples found in
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
, especially the
Acholi Acholi may refer to:
* Acholi people, a Luo nation of Uganda, in the Northern part of the country.
* Acholi language
Acholi (also Leb Acoli, or Leb Lwo) is a Southern Luo dialect spoken by the Acholi people in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum an ...
and Padhola people. As they moved into Kenya and Tanzania, they underwent significant genetic and cultural admixture as they encountered other communities that were long established in the region.
Traditionally, Luo people practiced a mixed economy of cattle pastoralism, seed farming and
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...
supplemented by hunting. Today, the Luo comprise a significant fraction of
East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historica ...
's intellectual and skilled labour force in various professions. They also engage in various trades, such as tenant fishing, small-scale farming, and urban work.
Luo people and people of Luo descent have made significant contributions to modern culture and civilization.
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 Nigel N. Mwangi were key figures in the African Nationalist struggle.The Politics of The Independence of Kenya by Kyle Keith. Palgrave MacMillan 1999 Luo scientists, such as
Thomas R. Odhiambo
Professor Thomas Risley Odhiambo (February 4, 1931 – May 26, 2003) was a Kenyan entomologist and environmental activist who directed research and scientific development in Africa.
Life and education
Odhiambo was educated at Maseno School in Ken ...
Royal Institute of Navigation
The Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) is a learned society and a professional body for navigation. The RIN was founded in 1947 as a forum for mariners, pilots, engineers and academics to compare their experiences and exchange information. Toda ...
(RIN)) have achieved international acclaim for their contributions. Prof. Richard S. Odingo was the vice chairman of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused by human activities. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ...
when it received the
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolo ...
in 2007 with
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic ...
.Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – Nobel Lecture. Available from: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2007/ipcc/26114-intergovernmental-panel-on-climate-change-nobel-lecture-2007/ Cited 17-12-20
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolo ...
Lupita Nyong'o
Lupita Amondi Nyong'o (, ; ; born 1 March 1983) is a Kenyan-Mexican actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, and nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.
The daughter of Kenyan politi ...
became the first black African to win an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
in 2014."'Pride of Africa: Kenya celebrates Nyong'o's Oscar". Boston Herald. 3 March 2014. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
The Luo are the originators of a number of popular music genres including benga and ohangla. Benga is one of Africa's most popular genres.
Location
The present day homeland of Kenyan and Tanzanian Luo lies in the eastern Lake Victoria basin in the former
Nyanza province
Nyanza Province (; sw, Mkoa wa Nyanza) was one of Kenya's eight administrative provinces before the formation of the 47 counties under the 2010 constitution. Six counties were organised in the area of the former province.
The region is locate ...
in Western Kenya and the Mara region in northwestern Tanzania. This area falls within tropical latitudes and straddles the
equator
The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can also ...
. This area also receives average rainfall averages. The average altitudes range between 3700 and 6000 feet above sea level.Ogot, Bethwell A., ''History of the Southern Luo: Volume I, Migration and Settlement, 1500–1900'', (Series: ''Peoples of East Africa''),
East African Publishing House The East African Publishing House (EAPH) was a publishing company established in Nairobi in 1965. It was the first indigenous publishing firm in East Africa.
History
The East African Institute of Social and Cultural Affairs started to consider the ...
, Nairobi, 1967 pp 31–39
Origin
Origins
Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania form the majority of
Nilotic peoples
The Nilotic peoples are people indigenous to the Nile Valley who speak Nilotic languages. They inhabit South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. Among these are the Burun ...
. During the British colonial period, they were known as
Nilotic Kavirondo
The Luo of Kenya and Tanzania are a Nilotic ethnic group native to western Kenya and the Mara Region of northern Tanzania in East Africa. The Luo are the fourth-largest ethnic group (10.65%) in Kenya, after the Kikuyu (17.13%), the Luhy ...
. The exact location of origin of the
Nilotic peoples
The Nilotic peoples are people indigenous to the Nile Valley who speak Nilotic languages. They inhabit South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. Among these are the Burun ...
is controversial but most ethnolinguists and historians place their origins between Bahr-el-Ghazal and
Eastern Equatoria
Eastern Equatoria is a state in South Sudan. It has an area of 73,472 km². The capital is Torit. On October 1, 1972, the state was divided into Imatong and Namorunyang states and was re-established by a peace agreement signed on 22 Febr ...
in
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of th ...
. They practiced a mixed economy of cattle pastoralism, fishing and seed cultivation. Some of the earliest archaeological findings on record, which describe a similar culture to this from the same region, are found at Kadero, 48 kilometres (30 miles) north of
Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...
in
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
, and date to 3000 BC. Kadero contains the remains of a cattle pastoralist culture as well as a cemetery with skeletal remains featuring Sub-Saharan African phenotypes. It also contains evidence of other animal domestication, artistry, long-distance trade, seed cultivation and fish consumption. Genetic and linguistic studies have demonstrated that Nubian people in Northern Sudan and Southern Egypt are an admixed group that started off as a population closely related to
Nilotic peoples
The Nilotic peoples are people indigenous to the Nile Valley who speak Nilotic languages. They inhabit South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. Among these are the Burun ...
. This population later received significant gene flow from
Middle Eastern
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europea ...
and other East African populations. Nubians are considered to be descendants of the early inhabitants of the Nile valley who later formed the
Kingdom of Kush
The Kingdom of Kush (; Egyptian: 𓎡𓄿𓈙 𓈉 ''kꜣš'', Assyrian: ''Kûsi'', in LXX grc, Κυς and Κυσι ; cop, ''Ecōš''; he, כּוּשׁ ''Kūš'') was an ancient kingdom in Nubia, centered along the Nile Valley in wh ...
which included
Kerma
Kerma was the capital city of the Kerma culture, which was located in present-day Sudan at least 5,500 years ago. Kerma is one of the largest archaeological sites in ancient Nubia. It has produced decades of extensive excavations and research, ...
Makuria
Makuria (Old Nubian: , ''Dotawo''; gr, Μακουρία, Makouria; ar, المقرة, al-Muqurra) was a Nubians, Nubian monarchy, kingdom located in what is today Northern Sudan and Southern Egypt. Makuria originally covered the area along the N ...
Alodia
Alodia, also known as Alwa ( grc-gre, Aρουα, ''Aroua''; ar, علوة, ''ʿAlwa''), was a medieval kingdom in what is now central and southern Sudan. Its capital was the city of Soba, located near modern-day Khartoum at the confluence of t ...
. These studies suggest that populations closely related to Nilotic people long inhabited the Nile valley as far as Southern Egypt in antiquity.
For various reasons, slow and multi-generational migrations of Nilotic Luo Peoples occurred from
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of th ...
into
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
and western
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
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, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
from at least 1000 AD continuing up until the early 20th century. Some authors note that the early phases of this expansion coincide with the collapse of the Christian Nubian kingdoms of
Makuria
Makuria (Old Nubian: , ''Dotawo''; gr, Μακουρία, Makouria; ar, المقرة, al-Muqurra) was a Nubians, Nubian monarchy, kingdom located in what is today Northern Sudan and Southern Egypt. Makuria originally covered the area along the N ...
and
Alodia
Alodia, also known as Alwa ( grc-gre, Aρουα, ''Aroua''; ar, علوة, ''ʿAlwa''), was a medieval kingdom in what is now central and southern Sudan. Its capital was the city of Soba, located near modern-day Khartoum at the confluence of t ...
, the penetration of Arabs into central
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
White Nile
The White Nile ( ar, النيل الأبيض ') is a river in Africa, one of the two main tributaries of the Nile, the other being the Blue Nile. The name comes from the clay sediment carried in the water that changes the water to a pale color ...
in the 16th century, conquering territory as far as modern day Khartoum. They established the
Shilluk Kingdom
The Shilluk Kingdom, dominated by the Shilluk people, was located along the left bank of the White Nile river in what is now South Sudan and southern Sudan. Its capital and royal residence was in the town of Fashoda. According to Shilluk folk h ...
Babiito dynasty Omukama wa Bunyoro Translates to The King of Bunyoro is the title given to rulers of the East African kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara. The kingdom lasted as an independent state from the 16th to the 19th century. The Omukama of Bunyoro remains an import ...
in
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
. This group assimilated into
Bantu
Bantu may refer to:
*Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages
*Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language
* Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle
* Black Association for Nationa ...
culture.
The Luo of
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
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, largest_city = Nairobi
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and
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
are classified as Southern Luo.and are the only 'river lake Nilotes' having migrated and lived along the
Nile river
The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest riv ...
. They entered Kenya and Tanzania via
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of th ...
. The Luo speakers who migrated into Kenya were chiefly from four Luo-speaking groups: the
Acholi Acholi may refer to:
* Acholi people, a Luo nation of Uganda, in the Northern part of the country.
* Acholi language
Acholi (also Leb Acoli, or Leb Lwo) is a Southern Luo dialect spoken by the Acholi people in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum an ...
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
and parts of
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of th ...
Acholi Acholi may refer to:
* Acholi people, a Luo nation of Uganda, in the Northern part of the country.
* Acholi language
Acholi (also Leb Acoli, or Leb Lwo) is a Southern Luo dialect spoken by the Acholi people in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum an ...
and Padhola. It is estimated that Dholuo has 90% lexical similarity with Lep Alur (
Alur language
Alur (Dho-Alur ̟ɔ.a.lur is a Western Nilotic language spoken in the southern West Nile region of Uganda and the northeastern Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: Républi ...
); 83% with Lep Achol (
Acholi language
Acholi (also Leb Acoli, or Leb Lwo) is a Southern Luo dialect spoken by the Acholi people in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader (a region known as Acholiland) in northern Uganda. It is also spoken in South Sudan in Magwi County, Easte ...
); 93% with Dhopadhola (Padhola language), 74% with Anuak, and 69% with Jurchol ( Luwo) and Dhi-Pari (Pari).
Luo of Kenya and Tanzania are also called Joluo or Jonagi/Onagi(a person who has his six lower teeth removed as a rite of passage during puberty), singular Jaluo, Jaonagi or Joramogi/Nyikwaramogi, meaning "Ramogi's heirs." The Luo clans of Kenya and Tanzania were called Ororo, while among the Nuer they were called Liel. In the Dinka tribe, the Luo are called the Jur-Chol. The present-day Kenya Luo traditionally consist of 27 tribes, each in turn composed of various clans and sub-clans ("Jo-" indicates "people of").
Migration into Kenya
Oral history and genealogical evidence have been used to estimate timelines of Luo expansion into and within Kenya and Tanzania. Four major waves of migrations into the former
Nyanza province
Nyanza Province (; sw, Mkoa wa Nyanza) was one of Kenya's eight administrative provinces before the formation of the 47 counties under the 2010 constitution. Six counties were organised in the area of the former province.
The region is locate ...
in
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
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are discernible, starting with the People of Jok (''Joka Jok''), which is estimated to have begun around 1490–1517. ''Joka Jok'' were the first and largest wave of migrants into northern Nyanza. These migrants settled at a place called Ramogi Hill, then expanded around Northern Nyanza. The People of Owiny' (''Jok’Owiny'') and the People of Omolo (''Jok’Omolo'') followed soon after (1598–1625). A miscellaneous group composed of the Suba, Sakwa, Asembo, Uyoma and Kano then followed. The Suba originally were Bantu-speaking people who assimilated into Luo culture. They fled from the
Buganda Kingdom
Buganda is a Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Buganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala. The 14 m ...
in
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
after the civil strife that followed the murder of the 24th
Kabaka of Buganda
the kabaka Palace in kireka
Kabaka is the title of the king of the Kingdom of Buganda.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, According to the traditions of the Baganda they are ruled by two kings, one spiritual an ...
in the mid 18th century and settled in
South Nyanza
The South Cushitic or Rift languages of Tanzania are a branch of the Cushitic languages. The most numerous is Iraqw, with half a million speakers. These languages are believed to have been originally spoken by Southern Cushitic agro-pastoralists ...
, especially at Rusinga and Mfangano islands. Luo speakers crossed Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria from Northern Nyanza into
South Nyanza
The South Cushitic or Rift languages of Tanzania are a branch of the Cushitic languages. The most numerous is Iraqw, with half a million speakers. These languages are believed to have been originally spoken by Southern Cushitic agro-pastoralists ...
starting in the early 17th century.
As Luo speakers migrated deeper into western Kenya, they encountered the descendants of various people who had long occupied the region. The great lakes region has been inhabited since the early stone age. The Kanysore culture, located at Gogo falls in Migori county, are thought to be the first
hunter gatherers
A traditional hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living an ancestrally derived lifestyle in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local sources, especially edible wild plants but also insects, fungi, ...
in East Africa to produce ceramics.
Twa people
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with F ...
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali ...
, are thought to have reached western Kenya by 1000 BC. They brought with them iron-forging technology and novel farming techniques, turning the great lakes region into one of Africa's main population centres and earliest iron smelting regions. The Urewe culture was dominant from 650 BC to 550 BC. This culture was found in northern Nyanza. Bantu speaking groups found in the Lake Victoria basin today include the
Luhya Luhya or Abaluyia may refer to:
* Luhya people
* Luhya language
Luhya (; also Luyia, Luhia or Luhiya) is a Bantu language of western Kenya.
Dialects
The various Luhya tribes speak several related languages and dialects, though some of them ar ...
Kunta
The Kountas or Kuntas (singular: ''Elkentawi'' or ''Alkanata'') are described originally as Arabs, descendants of Uqba ibn Nafi,. The Kunta tribe are also considered to have roots to Sidi Ahmad al-Bakkay, the founder, who died in the early 16th ...
Southern Nilotic
The Southern Nilotic languages are spoken mainly in western Kenya and northern Tanzania (with one of them, Kupsabiny or Sapiny, being spoken on the Ugandan side of Mount Elgon). They form a division of the larger Nilotic language family, along ...
speakers, the
Nandi
Nandi may refer to:
People
* Nandy (surname), Indian surname
* Nandi (mother of Shaka) (1760–1827), daughter of Bhebe of the Langeni tribe
* Onandi Lowe (born 1974), Jamaican footballer nicknamed Nandi
* Nandi Bushell (born 2010), South Afric ...
, Kipsigis and Maasai also were found in this area.
Luo expansion into these already inhabited areas led to trade, conflict, conquest, inter-marriage and cultural assimilation. The previous inhabitants were pushed by Luo speakers to their present day boundaries. Luo customs and habits also changed as they adopted the culture of the communities with which they interacted. Conflict and raids in this diverse area led to the development of defensive savanna architecture, typified by the stone walled ruins, Thimlich Ohinga in South Nyanza. Neville Chittick, the director of the British Institute of History and Archaeology in East Africa was the first to assert that the site was likely to have been constructed before the arrival of Luo speakers. This assertion is poorly supported archaeologically, however, because most of the stone walled structures are dated to within the period of Luo expansion. Nevertheless, Luo speakers maintained Thimlich Ohinga and continued the tradition of building stone walled fortresses (''Ohingni'') as well as defensive earthworks (''Gunda Bur'') in both Northern and Southern Nyanza. These defensive earth works would curve around living areas surrounding them. Some of these defensive structures enclosed several hundred houses.Pitt Rivers Museum Luo Visual History. Luo Settlements and Home Structures. Available from: http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/Luo/luo/page/exhibition-settlements/index.html Archaeological and ethnographic analyses of the sites have shown that the spatial organisation of these structures most closely resembles the layout of traditional Luo homesteads. Ceramic analysis also confirms continuity between the earliest inhabitants of these sites and Luo speakers. With the arrival of the Europeans, these sites were slowly vacated as colonial administration established peace in the region. The families living in the enclosures moved out into individual homesteads using
euphorbia
''Euphorbia'' is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the family Euphorbiaceae. "Euphorbia" is sometimes used in ordinary English to collectively refer to all members of Euphorbiaceae (in deference to t ...
instead of stone as fencing material. By the mid 20th century, they were all abandoned.
Colonial times
Early British contact with the Luo was indirect and sporadic. Relations intensified only when the completion of the
Uganda Railway
The Uganda Railway was a metre-gauge railway system and former British state-owned railway company. The line linked the interiors of Uganda and Kenya with the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa in Kenya. After a series of mergers and splits, the li ...
had confirmed British intentions and largely removed the need for local alliances. In 1896, a
punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a political entity or any group of people outside the borders of the punishing state or union. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong beh ...
was mounted in support of the Wanga ruler
Mumia
Mumia Abu-Jamal (born Wesley Cook; April 24, 1954) is an American political activist and journalist who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1982 for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. While on death ...
in Ugenya against the Kager clan led by Ochieng Ger III, otherwise known as Gero. Over 200 were quickly killed by a
Maxim gun
The Maxim gun is a recoil-operated machine gun invented in 1884 by Hiram Stevens Maxim. It was the first fully automatic machine gun in the world.
The Maxim gun has been called "the weapon most associated with imperial conquest" by historian ...
. Another 300 people in the Uyoma resistance were killed by an expedition led by Sir Charles Horbley (Bwana Obila Muruayi) when they were confiscating Luo cattle to help feed the Indian workers who were building the Uganda railway. Following these clashes, Luo spiritual leaders advised the people to actively cooperate with the British. By 1900, the Luo chief Odera was providing 1,500 porters for a British expedition against the
Nandi
Nandi may refer to:
People
* Nandy (surname), Indian surname
* Nandi (mother of Shaka) (1760–1827), daughter of Bhebe of the Langeni tribe
* Onandi Lowe (born 1974), Jamaican footballer nicknamed Nandi
* Nandi Bushell (born 2010), South Afric ...
. The British set up regional headquarters first at
Mumias
Mumias is a town in Kakamega County of Kenya. The town has an urban population of 116,358 (2009 census).
Mumias was the centre of the Mumias District. The town is linked by road to Kakamega (in east), Busia (west), Bungoma (north), Butere (south) ...
then at
Kisumu
Kisumu ( ) is the 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 Victoria Basin.
Apart from being an important p ...
. They worked to submit the Luo to colonial control and administration. Within a few decades, traditional leaders and political structures were replaced by colonial chiefs.Pitt Rivers Museum Luo Visual History. The Luo Encounter with Europeans. Available from: http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/Luo/luo/page/exhibition-encounter-europeans/index.html
The Seventh-day Adventist Church missionaries were amongst the earliest Christian missionaries to proselytise to Luo people. Arthur Carscallen, a Canadian
Seventh-day Adventist
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 ...
(SDA) was the first Adventist to work in Kenya with Peter Nyambo, from
Nyasaland
Nyasaland () was a British protectorate located in Africa that was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Between 1953 and 1963, Nyasaland was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasala ...
(Present day Malawi). The first mission was opened with the assistance of German missionary Abraham C. Enns, in November 1906 at Gendia Hill,
Kendu Bay
Kendu Bay is a bay and town in Kenya. The area is the part of Rachuonyo North District in Homa Bay County. It is located on the shore of Lake Victoria along Katito-Homa-Bay road. It is the headquarters of the district. Kisumu, the largest urban ...
. These missionaries established stations at Wire Hill,
Rusinga Island
Rusinga Island, with an elongated shape approximately 10 miles (16 km) from end to end and 3 miles (5 km) at its widest point, lies in the eastern part of Lake Victoria at the mouth of the Winam Gulf. Part of Kenya, it is linked to Mbit ...
, Kanyadoto, Karung, Kisii and Kamagambo. These were all in
South Nyanza
The South Cushitic or Rift languages of Tanzania are a branch of the Cushitic languages. The most numerous is Iraqw, with half a million speakers. These languages are believed to have been originally spoken by Southern Cushitic agro-pastoralists ...
. The first Luo SDA converts were baptised on 21 May 1911. Carscallen was the first to reduce
Dholuo
The Dholuo dialect (pronounced ) or ''Nilotic Kavirondo'', is a dialect of the Luo group of Nilotic languages, spoken by about 4.2 million Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania, who occupy parts of the eastern shore of Lake Victoria and areas to th ...
to writing. He produced a textbook of grammar and started translating the bible into Dholuo. Catholic missionaries and Anglican missionaries through the Church Mission Society (CMS) were also active throughout Nyanza, but mainly focused on Northern Nyanza.Pitt Rivers Museum Luo Visual History. Westernisation of the Luo. Available from: http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/Luo/luo/page/exhibition-european-education/index.html
It remains unclear whether Luo people westernised due to colonial pressure or they readily accepted aspects of western culture. However, by the 1930s, the Luo way of life had changed significantly and westernized. Some suggest that the efforts of Chiefs (''Ruoth'') such as Odera Akang'o played a role in this. In 1915, the Colonial Government sent ''Odera Akang'o'', the '' ruoth'' of Gem, to
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 R ...
, Uganda. He was impressed by the British settlement there and upon his return home he initiated a forced process of adopting western styles of "schooling, dress and hygiene". This resulted in the rapid education of the Luo in the English language and English ways. European education carried out by the Christian missionaries also played a role in the westernization of the Luo.
The apparent acquiescence to British colonial rule was shattered by a movement known as
Mumboism
Mumboism, also known as the Mumbo cult, was a new religious movement founded by Onyango Dunde in the early 20th century. Followers of the religion, known as Mumboites, were most active in the Nyanza region of Kenya near Lake Victoria. The movemen ...
that took root in South Nyanza. In 1913, Onyango Dunde of central Kavirondo proclaimed to have been sent by the serpent god of
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after ...
, Mumbo to spread his teachings. The colonial government recognized this movement as a threat to their authority because of the Mumbo creed. Mumbo pledged to drive out the colonialists and their supporters and condemned their religion. Since violent resistance had been proven to be futile as the Africans were outmatched technologically, this movement focused on anticipating the end of colonialism, rather than actively inducing it. This movement was classified as a millennialist cult.
Mumboism
Mumboism, also known as the Mumbo cult, was a new religious movement founded by Onyango Dunde in the early 20th century. Followers of the religion, known as Mumboites, were most active in the Nyanza region of Kenya near Lake Victoria. The movemen ...
spread amongst the Luo and the Kisii people. The Colonial authorities suppressed the movement by deporting and imprisoning adherents in the 1920s and 1930s.
The earliest modern African political organization in
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 ...
sought to protest pro-settler policies, and increased taxes on Africans and the despised ''Kipande'' (Identifying metal band worn around the neck). Mass meetings were organized separately by Luo people in Kavirondo and the
Kikuyu people
The Kikuyu (also ''Agĩkũyũ/Gĩkũyũ'') are a Bantu ethnic group native to Central Kenya. At a population of 8,148,668 as of 2019, they account for 17.13% of the total population of Kenya, making them Kenya's largest ethnic group.
The t ...
in
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ...
. A strike at the CMS mission school in Maseno was organised by Daudi Basudde. He raised concerns about the damaging implications on African land ownership by switching from the
East African Protectorate
East Africa Protectorate (also known as British East Africa) was an area in the African Great Lakes occupying roughly the same terrain as present-day Kenya from the Indian Ocean inland to the border with Uganda in the west. Controlled by Brit ...
to the
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 ...
. A series of meetings dubbed ''Piny Owacho'' (Voice of the People) culminated in a large mass meeting held in December 1921 advocating for individual title deeds, getting rid of the ''Kipande'' system and a fairer tax system. Bound by the same concerns,
James Beauttah
James Beauttah (1889–1985) led the Kikuyu Central Association, Kenya's first all-African political organization together with Joseph Kang'ethe. They were later joined by Jomo Kenyatta in 1924 as they lay the foundation that would be the beginni ...
, one of the founders of the Kikuyu Central Association initiated an alliance between the Kikuyu and Luo communities. Archdeacon W. E. Owen, an
Anglican missionary
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...
and prominent advocate for African affairs, formalised and canalised the ''Piny’ Owacho'' (Voice of the People) movement. Colonial authorities would come to praise him as having re-directed the political movement, which was thought of as premature. However, locals perceived him as their advocate. He started the Kavirondo Taxpayers Welfare Association and became its president, offering Africans an avenue through which they could address their grievances. However, he concentrated primarily on welfare issues and avoided politics that would upset colonial authorities.
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. Odin ...
started the Luo Thrift and Trading Corporation (LUTATCO) after noting that Luo business owners, who were the most financially independent Africans, loathed education. He also sought to uplift the economic status of the Luo community whilst proving that education was useful for business. The LUTATCO office was the first African owned building in
Kisumu
Kisumu ( ) is the 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 Victoria Basin.
Apart from being an important p ...
Town. One of the many business ventures it engaged in included the publication of African Nationalist newspapers including Achieng Oneko's vernacular newspaper ''Ramogi'' and
Paul Ngei
The Honourable Paul Joseph Ngei (18 October 1923 – 15 August 2004) was a Kenyan politician who was imprisoned for his role in the anti-colonial movement, but who went on to hold several government ministerial positions after Kenya became indepe ...
's radical newspaper ''Uhuru Wa Africa''. For his efforts he was appointed as ''‘Ker’'' or Chief of the Luo Union, an organisation that represented the interests of the greater Luo Peoples in East Africa. Oginga Odinga would become a Key political figure in Kenya. He first ventured into politics when he joined the
Kenya African Union
The Kenya African Union (KAU) was a political organization devoted to achieving independence for British Kenya. In 1960 it became the current Kenya African National Union (KANU).
Formation
The Kenya African Union was founded in 1944 under the nam ...
.
Harry Thuku
Harry Thuku (1895 – 14 June 1970) was a Kenyan politician, one of the pioneers in the development of modern African nationalism in Kenya. He helped found the Young Kikuyu Association and the East African Association before being arrested an ...
, a pioneering Kikuyu politician, founded the Kenya African Study Union in 1944 which later became the
Kenya African Union
The Kenya African Union (KAU) was a political organization devoted to achieving independence for British Kenya. In 1960 it became the current Kenya African National Union (KANU).
Formation
The Kenya African Union was founded in 1944 under the nam ...
. This was an African nationalist organisation that demanded amongst other things, access to white owned land. It was multitribal.
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 ...
became president of KAU in 1947. In an effort to gain nationwide support of KAU,
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 ...
visited
Kisumu
Kisumu ( ) is the 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 Victoria Basin.
Apart from being an important p ...
in 1952. His effort to build up support for KAU in Nyanza inspired
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. Odin ...
, the ''Ker'' (chief) of the Luo Union to join KAU and delve into politics.
Mau Mau Uprising
The Luo generally were not dispossessed of their land by white settlers, avoiding the fate that befell the pastoral ethnic groups inhabiting the Kenyan " White Highlands". Many Luo played significant roles in the struggle for Kenyan independence, but the people were relatively uninvolved in the
Mau Mau Uprising
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 ...
(1952–60). Instead, they used their education to advance the cause of independence peacefully. An intense propaganda campaign by the colonial government effectively discouraged other Kenyan communities, settlers and the international community from sympathising with the movement by emphasising on real and perceived acts of barbarism perpetrated by the Mau Mau. Although a much smaller number of Europeans lost their lives compared to Africans during the uprising, each individual European loss of life was publicised in disturbing detail, emphasising elements of betrayal and bestiality. As a result, the protest was mainly supported by the
Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language.
It may also refer to:
*Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya
*Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people
*Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Centr ...
who began the uprising. Luo supporters of Mau Mau and those deemed by the colonial government to support it were imprisoned as well. Most notably, Ramogi Achieng Oneko, a KAU leader and one of the
Kapenguria six
The Kapenguria Six – Bildad Kaggia, Kung'u Karumba, Jomo Kenyatta, Fred Kubai, Paul Ngei, and Achieng' Oneko – were six leading Kenyan nationalists who were arrested in 1952, tried at Kapenguria in 1952–53, and imprisoned thereafter i ...
.
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
's grandfather,
Hussein Onyango Obama
The family of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, is a prominent American family active in law, education, activism and politics. Obama's immediate family circle was the first family of the United States from 2009 to 2017, a ...
, was involved in the African nationalist movement. He was imprisoned and tortured by the colonial authorities on suspicions that he was involved in the Mau Mau rebellion. Luo lawyer Argwings Kodhek, the first East African to obtain a law degree, became known as the Mau Mau lawyer as he would successfully defend Africans accused of Mau Mau crimes pro bono.
Pre-independence politics
Following the suppression of the Mau Mau uprising and containment of Kikuyu politicians, Luo anticolonial activists filled the gap, achieving prominence on the political scene.
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 ...
, a Suba Luo, stepped into the limelight and became one of the major figures in the struggle for Kenya's independence. His intelligence, discipline, oratory and organisational skills set him apart.
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 ...
started the Kenya Federation of Labour (KFL), which quickly became the most active political body in Kenya, representing all the trade unions. Mboya's successes in trade unionism earned him respect and admiration. Mboya established international connections, particularly with labour leaders 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 ...
through the
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) was an international trade union. It came into being on 7 December 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), and was dissolved on 31 October 2006 when ...
(ICFTU). He used these connections and his international celebrity status to counter moves by the colonial government Tom Mboya started the Nairobi People's Convention Party (NPCP), inspired by Kwame Nkurumah'sPeople's Convention Party. It became the most organised and effective political party in the country. It later merged with the
Kenya Independence Movement
The Kenya Independence Movement (KIM) was a political party in Kenya.
History
The KIM was established in August 1959 by African members of the Legislative Council, and was led by Julius Gikonyo Kiano, Tom Mboya and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.Rober ...
and KAU to form the Kenya African National Union (KANU), which would go on to rule the country until 2002. Tom Mboya also started the Kennedy Airlift scholarship program in order to address the issue of a lack of African skilled labour. Over 800 Kenyans and East Africans benefited from this program including environmentalist and
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolo ...
George Saitoti
George Musengi Saitoti, E.G.H. (3 August 1945 – 10 June 2012) was a Kenyan politician, businessman and American- and British-trained economist, mathematician and development policy thinker.
As a mathematician, Saitoti served as Head of the ...
and
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
's father,
Barack Obama Sr
Barack Hussein Obama Sr. (; 18 June 1934 – 24 November 1982) was a Kenyan senior governmental economist and the father of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States. He is a central figure of his son's memoir, '' Dreams from My Fa ...
. Airlift to America. How Barack Obama Sr., John F. Kennedy, Tom Mboya, and 800 East African Students Changed Their World and Ours by Tom Shachtman
The first election for African Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) was in 1957.
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
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. Odin ...
were elected. In June 1958,
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. Odin ...
called for the release of
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 ...
who had been imprisoned following the crackdown on the Mau Mau uprising. He made this call at a Legislative council debate. He endured months of persecution for taking this stand before it became the rallying call for the African nationalist movement. The Lancaster House Conferences were held in London to discuss Kenya's independence and constitutional framework. Tom Mboya and Oginga Odinga enlisted the assistance of
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 until 1991. He was the Supreme Court's first African-A ...
, an American Lawyer and civil rights activist to draft the first constitution.
Independent Kenya
After Kenya became independent on 12 December 1963,
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. Odin ...
declined the presidency of Kenya and agreed to assume the vice presidency with
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 ...
as the head of government. Their administration represented the
Kenya African National Union
The Kenya African National Union (KANU) is a Kenyan political party that ruled for nearly 40 years after Kenya's independence from British colonial rule in 1963 until its electoral loss in 2002. It was known as Kenya African Union (KAU) from 19 ...
(KANU) party. The Luo and the Kikuyu inherited the bulk of political power in the first years following Kenya's independence in 1963. However, differences with Kenyatta caused Odinga to defect from the party and abandon the vice presidency in 1966.
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 t ...
political intrigues were at play in local Kenyan politics. 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 actively sought to influence local policy making and win allies resulting in a proxy cold war in Kenya. Local politics became enmeshed with cold war ideological divisions.Freedom and suffering. Chapter in: Kenya: Between Hope and Despair, 1963 – 2011 by Daniel Branch. Yale University Press. Nov 2011 Odinga and
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 ...
, a Kikuyu politician and Mau Mau leader, criticised the Kenyatta government for adopting a corrupt land redistribution policy that did not benefit the poor and landless. Pio Gama Pinto, a prominent anti-colonial activist, Odinga's chief tactician and link to the eastern bloc was assassinated on 25 February 1965 in what is recognised as Kenya's first political assassination. Odinga became increasingly sidelined in government and was eventually compelled to resign and start his own political party – the Kenya People's Union (KPU).Kenya: The Post-Kenyatta Conundrum. CIA Intelligence Memorandum. Approved for release 2008/11/18. Available from: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP85T00875R001100130082-2.pdf The Kenya People's Union (KPU) had strong support amongst the Luo. The Kenyatta government persecuted this party. A security Act was passed in Parliament in July 1966 that permitted the government to carry out detention without trial ostensibly to maintain law and order in situations where the current order was threatened. This Act was immediately used against KPU members. In August 1966, government police arrested prominent Luo KPU members including Ochola Mak'Anyengo (the secretary general of the Kenya Petroleum Oil Workers Union), Oluande Koduol (Oginga Odinga's private secretary) and Peter Ooko (the general secretary of the East African Common Services Civil Servants Union) and detained without trial.
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 t ...
intrigues reached their peak in 1969. Since Odinga's exit from KANU, the Luo increasingly became politically marginalised. Argwings Kodhek, the pioneering Mau Mau lawyer died in a car crash under mysterious circumstances on 29 January 1969.
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 ...
, widely touted as the heir apparent to Kenyatta, was assassinated 6 months after on 5 July 1969. The political tension led to the Kisumu massacre when Kenyatta's presidential guard and police forces shot and killed several civilians in
Kisumu
Kisumu ( ) is the 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 Victoria Basin.
Apart from being an important p ...
Town, the capital of
Nyanza Province
Nyanza Province (; sw, Mkoa wa Nyanza) was one of Kenya's eight administrative provinces before the formation of the 47 counties under the 2010 constitution. Six counties were organised in the area of the former province.
The region is locate ...
. Following this massacre, KPU was banned, turning Kenya into a ''de facto'' one party state. All KPU members were arrested and detained without trial, including
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. Odin ...
. The political marginalisation of Nyanza province worsened and continued under the
Moi Moi or MOI may refer to:
People
* Moi (name), a list of people with the given name or surname
* Moisés Delgado (born 1994), Spanish footballer commonly known as simply Moi
* Moisés Rodríguez (born 1997), Spanish footballer commonly known a ...
administration.
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. Odin ...
was released from detention in 1971. The government continued to discourage his active participation in politics as he could not run for office in the 1974 general elections.Encyclopedia Britannica. The Republic of Kenya. Kenyatta's rule. Available from: https://www.britannica.com/place/Kenya/World-War-II-to-independence In 1982, Odinga attempted to start a new political party - Kenya African Socialist Alliance. Section 2A of the Kenyan constitution was amended making Kenya a ''de jure'' one party state therefore preventing Odinga's efforts. A coup attempt that same year by
Kenya Air Force
The Kenya Air Force (KAF) or sw, Jeshi la Wanahewa is the national aerial warfare service branch of the Republic of Kenya.
The main airbase operating fighters is Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, while Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, Nairobi is the ...
soldiers in August, led by a Luo, Hezekiah Ochuka was foiled.
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. Odin ...
and his son
Raila Odinga
Raila Amolo Odinga (born 7 January 1945) is a Kenyan politician, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata and businessman who served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He is assumed to be the Leader of Opposition in Kenya sin ...
were accused of involvement and detained without trial for several months. These events led to many years of marginalisation of the Luo community. The perception of marginalisation was further enforced by the murder of Robert Ouko, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1990. Economic and political marginalisation of the community and disastrous economic management in Kenya, particularly under the KANU party's administration of the nascent state, had tragic consequences for the people of Kenya. Despite the economic potential of nearby
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after ...
, Kenya continues to struggle with
poverty
Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse
and
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
.
Local and international pressure in the early 1990s resulted in the Moi government repealing the amendment of section 2A of the constitution. Multi-party politics was therefore permitted in Kenya. The Forum for Restoration of Democracy (FORD), a multi-tribal opposition party led 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. Odin ...
Martin Shikuku
Joseph Martin Shikuku Oyondi (December 25, 1932– August 22, 2012) was a Kenyan politician.
Spouse: Dolorosa Regina Elizabeth Achieng Shikuku: born 12 June 1942- Died 5 December 2004.
Children: Sylvano Madanji Shikuku: Both 16 November 1966, Emm ...
was formed. This party split up due to internal wrangling into ethnic based opposition parties - FORD-Asili (led by Matiba) and FORD-Kenya (led by Oginga Odinga). Oginga Odinga died in 1994.
Ford-Kenya later split and Odinga's son,
Raila Odinga
Raila Amolo Odinga (born 7 January 1945) is a Kenyan politician, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata and businessman who served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He is assumed to be the Leader of Opposition in Kenya sin ...
Mwai Kibaki
Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki (15 November 1931 – 21 April 2022) was a Kenyan politician who served as the third President of Kenya from December 2002 until April 2013 and is regarded as one of Kenya's founding fathers.
He had previously ser ...
to win the 2002 presidential election through the support of his Liberal Democratic Party. This relationship turned sour however and
Raila Odinga
Raila Amolo Odinga (born 7 January 1945) is a Kenyan politician, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata and businessman who served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He is assumed to be the Leader of Opposition in Kenya sin ...
led the vote against
Mwai Kibaki
Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki (15 November 1931 – 21 April 2022) was a Kenyan politician who served as the third President of Kenya from December 2002 until April 2013 and is regarded as one of Kenya's founding fathers.
He had previously ser ...
in the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum which was widely perceived as a referendum against Kibaki. More than 1,000 people were killed and 600,000 displaced in the
2007–2008 Kenyan crisis
The 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis was a violent political, economic, and humanitarian crisis that erupted in Kenya after former President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner of the presidential election held on December 27, 2007. Supporters of K ...
following the 2007 general elections. The campaign and election period were heavily polarised along ethnic lines. Raila Odinga led the
Orange Democratic Movement
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is a centre-left political party in Kenya. It is the successor of a grassroots people's movement which was formed during the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum campaign. This movement separated in Augus ...
against
Mwai Kibaki
Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki (15 November 1931 – 21 April 2022) was a Kenyan politician who served as the third President of Kenya from December 2002 until April 2013 and is regarded as one of Kenya's founding fathers.
He had previously ser ...
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan (; 8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founde ...
led to a coalition government with Raila Odinga receiving the new position of Prime Minister. The ethnic rivalry between the Kikuyu and the Luo underscores deeply rooted historical issues that involve access to resources and power. This rivalry continues to shape Kenya's political trajectory.
Despite the polarised politics that have led to economic and political marginalisation, several members of the Luo community continue to achieve prominence in Kenya. These include, James Orengo, Professor
Anyang' Nyong'o
Peter Anyang' Nyong'o (born 10 October 1943) is a Kenyan politician and author who is the Governor of Kisumu County. He is a former Secretary-General of Orange Democratic Movement (the current Secretary-General is Edwin Sifuna). Professor Nyong' ...
,
Peter Oloo-Aringo
Peter Oloo-Aringo is a Kenyan politician. He previously represented the Alego Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya
The National Assembly of the Republic of Kenya is one of the two Houses of the Parliament of Kenya. Between 1966 an ...
,
Dalmas Otieno
Hon. Dr. Dalmas Otieno Anyango, D.A., E.G.H, (born 19 April 1945) was born in Kenya. He was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Rongo in 1988, serving as Minister for Industrialisation from 1988 to 1991, then later that year as Mini ...
and
Peter Ombija
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
. Dr.
PLO Lumumba
Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba (born 17 July 1962) is a Kenyan who served as the Director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission from September 2010 to August 2011. Since 2014, Lumumba has been the Director of The Kenya School of Law. An eloquent ...
who is the former
Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission
The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) was established in April 2003 to replace the Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority after Parliament enacted new legislation.
Legal framework
The legislation enacted to establish the commission was:
* The A ...
director also is a Luo.
Lupita Nyong'o
Lupita Amondi Nyong'o (, ; ; born 1 March 1983) is a Kenyan-Mexican actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, and nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.
The daughter of Kenyan politi ...
Thomas R. Odhiambo
Professor Thomas Risley Odhiambo (February 4, 1931 – May 26, 2003) was a Kenyan entomologist and environmental activist who directed research and scientific development in Africa.
Life and education
Odhiambo was educated at Maseno School in Ken ...
, prominent entomologist, founder of the
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology
The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE, branded as ''icipe'') is an international scientific research institute, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya that works towards improving lives and livelihoods of people in Africa.
I ...
(ICIPE) and the
African Academy of Sciences
The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is a non-aligned, non-political, not-for-profit, pan-African learned society formed in 1985.
The AAS elects fellows (FAAS) and affiliates. The AAS also awards the Obasanjo Prize for Scientific Discovery and T ...
, winner of the Albert Einstein Gold Medal (1991); Washington Yotto Ochieng, winner of the Harold Spencer-Jones Gold Medal 2019 from The
Royal Institute of Navigation
The Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) is a learned society and a professional body for navigation. The RIN was founded in 1947 as a forum for mariners, pilots, engineers and academics to compare their experiences and exchange information. Toda ...
(RIN) following his outstanding contribution to navigation; Prof. Henry Odera Oruka, philosopher; Professor George Magoha, a consultant urologist and former Vice-Chancellor of University of Nairobi; and Prof
Richard Samson Odingo
Richard Samson Odingo (March 7, 1935 – June 12, 2021) was a Kenyan scientist who was the vice chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) when it was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 2007 with Al Gore. He had held this po ...
, vice-chairman of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused by human activities. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ...
(IPCC) which received the 2007 Nobel peace prize.
Genetics
Tishkoff ''et al'' in 2009 published the largest study done to characterise genetic variation and relationships among populations in Africa. They examined 121 African populations, 4 African American populations and 60 non-African populations. Their results indicated a high degree of mixed ancestry reflecting migration events. In East Africa, all population groups examined had elements of Nilotic,
Cushitic
The Cushitic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken primarily in the Horn of Africa, with minorities speaking Cushitic languages to the north in Egypt and the Sudan, and to the south in Kenya and Tanzania. As o ...
and
Bantu
Bantu may refer to:
*Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages
*Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language
* Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle
* Black Association for Nationa ...
ancestry, amongst others, to varying degrees. They also found that, by and large, genetic clusters were consistent with linguistic classification, with notable exceptions including the Luo of Kenya. Despite being Nilotic speakers, the Luo cluster with the Bantu speaking populations that surround them. They suggest that this indicates a high degree of admixture occurred during the southward migration of Southern Luo.David Reich's laboratory also noted similar findings. They found that mutation frequencies in the Luo were much more similar to those of the surrounding Bantu speakers. They suggested that Luo speakers in East Africa may not always have been socially disadvantaged as they migrated into territories already inhabited by Bantu speakers. This is in keeping with oral history, which affirms that large groups of Bantu speakers adopted Luo language, culture and customs that were dominant at the time.
66% of tested Luo men were found to have Y
Haplogroup E-M2
Haplogroup E-M2 (or E1b1a) is a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. It is primarily distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. E-M2 is the predominant subclade in West-Central Africa, Southern Africa and the African Great Lakes, and occurs at moderate f ...
(E1b1a) which is common among Bantu speaking peoples.
Culture and customs
Traditional system of government
Traditionally, the Luo people were a patriarchal society with a decentralized government system. The family was headed by the father or the first wife ''mikayi'' or son in the absence of the father. Many families came together through a traced relations by blood to form a clan, ''anyuola'', which mostly brought together the heads of different families together as people of the same descent, ''jokang'ato''. Many clans came together to form a village called ''gweng''which was headed by a village elder titled ''dodo'' or ''jaduong' gweng who ruled with the assistance of elders who were traditionally men of status gained through commerce, wealth, war, or eloquence. Many villages came together to form a sub-tribe which was headed by a hereditary chieftaincy by the eldest son ''Ruoth''.
The Luo government structure was stronger at the sub-tribe level under ''Ruoth'' who had a council of elders, ''galamoro mar jodongo'' or ''jodong gweng, from all the villages in their territory. The Luos organized their defense and security at the sub-tribe level which was headed by a commander, ''Osumba Mrwayi'', who was part of the council of elders. The council also had a spokesperson who talked on behalf of the council in official matters in village market meetings, religious, and cultural ceremonies that ''Ruoth'' presided over.
Sub-tribe relations with each other was ad-hoc as there was no single ruler of the Luo people. Sub-tribes came together during calamities, war, and natural disasters like drought, famines, and floods to help each other. ''Sumo'', the act of sharing produce with people who were struck by famine was a common tradition with Kisumo being one of the renowned marketplaces where those who were struck by famine never missed the generosity of their Luo counterparts.
The concept of a Luo ruler ''ker'' was coined by Jaramogi Oginga Odinga during the formation of the Luo Union in 1947 that was aimed at uniting all people of Luo descent in East Africa. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was the first Luo ''Ker''. As part of distinguishing a tribal leader from a national leader, part of the conditions was that a Luo ''Ker'' would not go into national politics and when Jaramogi Oginga Odinga went into national politics in 1957, he had to quit being a ''Ker''.
In recent years, the Luo ''Ker'' seat has been claimed by different factions of Luo council of elders that started with the appointment of Willis Opiyo Otondi by
Raila Odinga
Raila Amolo Odinga (born 7 January 1945) is a Kenyan politician, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata and businessman who served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He is assumed to be the Leader of Opposition in Kenya sin ...
in 2010 to replace Ker Riaga Ogalo. Traditionally, the Ker was elected by a Council of Elders and was not appointed as it happened with Opondo Otondi, and a Luo ''Ker'' could only leave office under two conditions, resignation or death. Ker Riaga Ogalo argued that he had not resigned nor died to warrant the appointment of another Ker while Opiyo Otondi argued that he was the duly elected Ker of the Luo people. Ker Riaga Ogalo represented Raila in numerous political forums and helped build Raila Odinga's political career contrary to the requirements of the council during the days they were in good talking terms.
Ker Riaga Ogalo is credited for having progressive ideas of all modern Luo Kers by championing for circumcision of the Luo men to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Circumcision was alien to the Luo tradition but his leadership made many hearts to accept the new changes. Ker Riaga Ogalo also served as the Vice-Chairman of the National Council of Elders. During the last years of his reign, he argued that Raila was deterring the Luo People to grow democratically and economically with his style of polictics. Ker Riaga Ogalo died in 2015 after a kidney infection at the Kenyatta National Hospital. The Council's wrangles continued after his demise with today Willis Opiyo Otondi still claiming to be the legitimate ker rivalled by Ker Nyandiko Ong'adi who was elected by the Luo Council of Elders in 2015 to replace ker Riaga Ogalo.
The attempt to centralize the Luo people under one authority have not been easy given their history with a decentralized government structure.
Rites of passage
Traditionally, the names given to children often reflected the conditions of the mother's pregnancy or delivery (including, for example, the time or season).
Further, the Luos have traditionally practiced the removal of six lower teeth between the ages of twelve and sixteen. The practice is referred to as "Nago lak" ( Nago is the process, lak means teeth). It is from this ritual that the Luos are also called onagi meaning those who have their teeth removed. This practice has now fallen largely out of use.
Cuisine
A popular Luo meal includes fish (rech) especially
tilapia
Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically most ...
(ngege) and omena, usually accompanied with ugali (called ''kuon'' in Dholuo) and traditional vegetables like osuga and apoth. Many of the vegetables eaten by the Luo were shared after years of association with their Bantu neighbours, the
Abaluhya
The Luhya (also known as ''Abaluyia'' or Luyia) comprise a number of Bantu ethnic groups native to western Kenya. They are divided into 20 culturally and linguistically related tribes.
''Luhya'' refers to both the 20 Luhya clans and their respe ...
and the Abagusii. Traditional Luo diet consisted of kuon made of sorghum or millet accompanied by fish, meat, or vegetable stews.
Religious customs
Like many ethnic communities in Uganda, including the Langi, Acholi, and Alur, the Luo do not practice the
ritual
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized ...
circumcision
Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Top ...
of males as
initiation
Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...
.
Local churches include ''Legio Maria'', ''Roho'', ''Nomiya'' and ''Fweny'' among others. There are Luo Muslim communities, with a notable group living in Kisumu, Kenya.
Marriage customs
Historically, couples were introduced to each other by matchmakers, but this is not common now. Like many other communities in Kenya, marriage practices among the Luo have been changing and some people are moving away from the traditional way of doing things.
The Luo successfully expanded their culture through intermarriage with other groups in the region, and many Luo today continue to marry outside the Luo community. This mainly acceptable since it is an exogamous community with restrictions at clan level both paternally and maternally. The traditional marriage ceremony takes place in two parts, both involving the payment of a
bride price
Bride price, bride-dowry ( Mahr in Islam), bride-wealth, or bride token, is money, property, or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the woman or the family of the woman he will be married to or is just about to marry. Bride dow ...
by the groom. The first ceremony, the Ayie, involves a payment of money to the mother of the bride; the second stage involves giving cattle to her father. Often these two steps are carried out at the same time, and, as many modern Luos are Christians, a church ceremony often follows.
Music
Traditionally, music was the most widely practiced art in the Luo community. At any time of day or night, music would be made. Music was not played for its own sake. Music was functional, being used for ceremonial, religious, political, or incidental purposes. Music was performed during funerals (''
Tero buru Tero or TERO may refer to:
* Tero (given name)
*Police Tero F.C., a Thai football club based in Bangkok
*BEC-TERO
Tero Entertainment Public Co. Ltd., formerly known as BEC-Tero, is a mass media and entertainment company in Thailand. It organizes a ...
''), to praise the departed, to console the bereaved, to keep people awake at night, and to express pain and agony. It was also used during cleansing and chasing away of spirits. Music was also played during ceremonies like beer parties ('' Dudu, ohangla dance''), welcoming back the warriors from a war, during a wrestling match ('' Olengo''), during courtship, etc. Work songs also existed. These were performed both during communal work like building, weeding, etc. and individual work like pounding of cereals, or winnowing. Music was also used for ritual purposes like chasing away evil spirits ''(nyawawa)'', who visit the village at night, in rain making, and during divination and healing.
The Luo music was shaped by the total way of life, lifestyles, and life patterns of individuals of this community. Because of that, the music had characteristics which distinguished it from that of other communities. This can be seen, heard, and felt in their melodies, rhythms, mode of presentation and dancing styles, movements, and formations.
The melodies in Luo music were lyrical, with a lot of vocal ornamentations. These ornaments came out clearly, especially when the music carried an important message. Their rhythms were characterized by a lot of syncopation and acrusic beginning. These songs were usually presented in solo-response style, although some were solo performances. The most common forms of solo performances were chants. These chants were recitatives with irregular rhythms and phrases, which carried serious messages. Most of the Luo dances were introduced by these chants. One example is the dudu dance.
Another unique characteristic in the Luo music is the introduction of yet another chant at the middle of a musical performance. The singing stops, the pitch of the musical instruments go down and the dance becomes less vigorous as an individual takes up the performance is self-praise. This is referred to as ''Pakruok''. There was also a unique kind of ululation, ''Sigalagala'', that marked the climax of the musical performance. Sigalagala was mainly done by women.
The dance styles in the Luo folk music were elegant and graceful. They involved either the movement of one leg in the opposite direction with the waist in step with the syncopated beats of the music or the shaking of the shoulders vigorously, usually to the tune of the nyatiti, an eight-stringed instrument.
Adamson (1967) commented that Luos clad in their traditional costumes and ornaments deserve their reputation as the most picturesque people in Kenya. During most of their performances, the Luo wore costumes and decorated themselves not only to appear beautiful, but also to enhance their movements. These costumes included sisal skirts (''owalo''), beads (''Ombulu / tigo'') worn around the neck and waist, and red or white clay worn by the ladies. The men's costumes included '' kuodi'' or ''chieno'', a skin worn from the shoulders or from the waist respectively to cover their nakedness, ''Ligisa'', the headgear, shield and spear, reed hats, and clubs, among others. All these costumes and ornaments were made from locally available materials.
The Luo were also rich in musical instruments which ranged from percussion (drums, clappers, metal rings, ''ongeng'o or gara'', shakers), strings (e.g., ''nyatiti'', a type of
lyre
The lyre () is a string instrument, stringed musical instrument that is classified by Hornbostel–Sachs as a member of the History of lute-family instruments, lute-family of instruments. In organology, a lyre is considered a yoke lute, since it ...
fiddle
A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, the ...
), wind (''tung (instrument), tung a horn,''
Asili
Asili is a village on the southwest coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa
American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the islan ...
'', a
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedles ...
, ''A bu-!'', to a specific type of trumpet).
Currently the Luo are associated with the '' benga'' style of music. It is a lively style in which songs in
Dholuo
The Dholuo dialect (pronounced ) or ''Nilotic Kavirondo'', is a dialect of the Luo group of Nilotic languages, spoken by about 4.2 million Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania, who occupy parts of the eastern shore of Lake Victoria and areas to th ...
, Swahili, or English are sung to a lively guitar riff. It originated in the 1950s with Luo musicians like George Ramogi and Ochieng' Kabaselle trying to adapt their traditional dance rhythms to western instruments. The
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
(acoustic, later electric) replaced the nyatiti as the string instrument. ''Benga'' has become so popular that it is played by musicians of all ethnicities like mugithi among the Kikuyu, and it is no longer considered a purely Luo style. It has become Kenya's characteristic pop sound.
Luo singer and nyatiti player
Ayub Ogada
Job Seda (1956 – 1 February 2019), better known as Ayub Ogada, was a Kenyan singer. He was a singer favoring the nyatiti (an eight-stringed lyre with its origins credited to the Luo, a tribe in Nyanza Kenya) as his characteristic instrument. ...
received widespread exposure in 2005 when two of his songs were featured in
Alberto Iglesias
Alberto Iglesias Fernández-Berridi (born 21 October 1955) is a Spanish composer. He was first noticed as a score composer for Spanish films, mostly from Pedro Almodóvar and Julio Medem. His career became more international with time and he eve ...
' Academy Award-nominated score for
Fernando Mereilles
Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...
' film adaptation of '' The Constant Gardener''.
Other Luo musicians, in various genres, are
Akothee
Esther Akoth (born 8 April 1983), better known as Akothee, is a Kenyan musician and businesswoman. She is the founder of Akothee Safaris, a tour company based in Kenya, the Akothee Foundation, a charity, and Aknotela and Akothee Homes, a real ...
,
Suzanna Owiyo
Susanna may refer to:
People
* Susanna (Book of Daniel), a portion of the Book of Daniel and its protagonist
* Susanna (disciple), a disciple of Jesus
* Susanna (given name), a feminine given name (including a list of people with the name)
Film ...
,
Daniel Owino Misiani
Daniel Owino Misiani (22 February 1940 – 17 May 2006) was a Tanzanian-born musician based in Kenya, where he led the Shirati Jazz collective. He was known as the "King of History" in Kenya; overseas and in Tanzania, he was known as "the grand ...
,
Collela Mazee
Collela Mazee (real name Richard Owino Osalla) was a Kenyan musician, who was a leading member of the Victoria Jazz band alongside Ochieng Nelly. They were among the originators of benga music, a music genre with origins in Kenya's Luoland.
His ...
,
Achieng' Abura
Lydia Achieng Abura (died 20 October 2016) was a Kenyan singer who performed Afro-jazz, Afro-fusion, and gospel music.
Life
Achieng Abura was born in Eldoret and held an MSc. degree in Philosophy and Environmental studies. She had one child, a son ...
,
George Ramogi
George Ramogi (1945–1997) was a Kenyan musician, who empowered the traditional luo ''benga and rumba'' genre of music. Ramogi was known for his spur of the good life and his notable appearances at bars and clubs in western Kenya- Nyanza region ...
Onyi Papa Jey Onyi Papa Jey (real name Bernard Onyango Ranginya, born in 1982 in Kiyembe, Suba District) is an ohangla musician from Kenya
Onyi Papa Jey started playing orutu while at primary school.Daily Nation, March 29, 2008Onyi Papa - Fitting Replacement fo ...
.
Kinship, family, and inheritance
Ocholla Ayayo writes in "Traditional Ideology and Ethics among the southern Luo":
"When the time of the inheritance comes the ideology of seniority is respected: the elder son receives the largest share, followed in the order of seniority. If it is the land to be divided, for instance, the land of the old grandfather's homestead, the senior son gets the middle piece, the second the land to the right hand side of the homestead, and the third son takes the land on the left hand side. After the father's death the senior son takes over the responsibilities of leadership. These groups when considered in terms of genealogy, are people of the same grandfather, and are known in Dholuo as Jokakwaro. They share sacrifices under the leadership of the senior brother. If the brother is dead the next brother in seniority takes the leadership of senior brother. The responsibility and prestige position of leadership is that it puts one into the primary position in harvesting, cultivation, as well as in eating specified parts of the animal killed, usually the best parts. It is the senior brother, who is leading in the group, who can first own the fishing boat. Since it is he who will be communicating with the ancestors of their father or grandfather, it is he who will conduct or lead the sacrifices of religiousity of the boat, as we have noted earlier. ..The system of the allocation of land by the father while he is still alive is important since it will coincide with the system of inheritance of land. The principle of the division of the land in monogamous families is rather simple and straightforward. ..The senior son takes the centre portion of all the land of the homestead up to and beyond the gate or to the buffer zone; the second son then has the remainder of the land to divide with the other brothers. If the land is divided among the elder sons after they are married, and take to live in their lands, it often happens that a youngest son remains in the village of the father to care for him in his old age. His inheritance is the last property, called Mondo and the remaining gardens of his mother. ..In the case of a polygamous village, the land is divided along the same lines, except that within the village, the sons claim the area contiguous to the houses of their mother. Each wife and her children are regarded as if the group constituted was the son of a single woman.By that I mean the children of the senior wife, Mikayi, are given that portion of the total area which could have been given to the senior son in a monogamous family. The sons of Nyachira, the second wife, and the sons of Reru, the third wife, lay claim to those portions which would have fallen to the second and third sons of Mikayi in a monogamous village".
Paul Hebinck and Nelson Mango explain in detail the family and inheritance system of the Luo in their article "Land and embedded rights: An analysis of land conflicts in Luoland, Western Kenya." Parker MacDonald Shipton also writes extensively about kinship, family and inheritance among the Luo in his book "Mortgaging the Ancestors: Ideologies of Attachment in Africa":
"Outside the homestead enclosure, or (where there is no more enclosure) beyond and before its houses, Luo people have favored a layout of fields that in some ways reflects placements of houses within. The following pattern, as described in Gordon Wilson's work from the 1950s, is still discernable in our times—not just in informants’ sketches of their ideals, but also in the allocations of real lands where space has allowed following suit. If there is more than one son in a monogamous homestead, the eldest takes land in front of or to the right of the entrance, and the second son takes land on the left. The third receives land to the right and center again, but farther from the father's homestead. The fourth son, if there is one, goes to the left but farther from the paternal homestead than the second. Further sons alternate right and left. While elder sons might thus receive larger shares than the younger ones, the youngest takes over the personal garden (mondo) kept by the father for his own use—as if as a consolation prize".
List of notable people of Luo descent
File:Dan Aceda at Thursday Night Live in NaIrobi by Paul Munene.jpg,
Dan 'Chizi' Aceda
Dan Aceda (born Dan Okoth' in Kisumu District in Western Kenya), is a Kenyan musician, entrepreneur, architect, and actor from Nairobi. He has recently been recognised by a Kenyan online magazine as having one of the top 10 most iconic male v ...
Musician
File:Evans Odhiambo Kidero 2015.jpg, Evans Kidero First Governor of
Nairobi County
Nairobi City County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya. With a population of 4,397,073 in the 2019 census, it is the third smallest yet the most populous of the counties, also serving as the capital of Kenya. In 2013, the county entity was effe ...
File:Larry Madowo BBC anchor.jpg,
Larry Madowo
Larry Madowo (born 14 July 1987) is a Kenyan journalist and a CNN International Correspondent. He was previously a North America Correspondent for the BBC and also anchored breaking news and presented BBC World News America from Washington, DC ...
Journalist. BBC Correspondent.
File:Ochola Makanyengo Pipe.webp, Ochola Ogaye Mak’Anyengo Anti-colonial activist, trade unionist and politician
File:Tom Mboya 1962 (cropped).jpg,
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 ...
Statesman. One of Kenya's founding fathers.
File:Susan Mboya Official Photo.jpg,
Susan Mboya
Susan Mboya is a corporate executive and philanthropist who is the Principal and International Advisor for Navigators Global a Washington DC based consulting firm. Susan has been a corporate executive for over 25 years and has held a number of se ...
Corporate executive and philanthropist
File:Miguna Miguna.jpg, Miguna Miguna Barrister. Former adviser to the Prime Minister on coalition affairs
File:SXSW 2019 4 (47282558132) (cropped).jpg,
Lupita Nyong'o
Lupita Amondi Nyong'o (, ; ; born 1 March 1983) is a Kenyan-Mexican actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, and nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.
The daughter of Kenyan politi ...
Actress. First black African
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
44th President of 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 ...
File:Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (cropped).jpg,
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. Odin ...
First Vice-President of Kenya
File:Raila A. Odinga.jpg,
Raila Odinga
Raila Amolo Odinga (born 7 January 1945) is a Kenyan politician, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata and businessman who served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He is assumed to be the Leader of Opposition in Kenya sin ...
Former Prime Minister of Kenya.
African Union
The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the Africa ...
High Representative for Infrastructure Development
File:Johnny Oduya Jets2 2012-02-11.JPG,
Johnny Oduya
David Johnny Oduya (born 1 October 1981), is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is of Kenyan Luo descent on his father's side. Oduya is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with th ...
Professional Ice-Hockey defenceman
File:Margaret A Ogola.jpg,
Margaret Ogola
Margaret Atieno Ogola (12 June 1958 – 21 September 2011) was a Kenyan novelist who wrote '' The River and the Source'' and its sequel, '' I Swear by Apollo''. ''The River and the Source'' follows four generations of Kenyan women in a rapidly c ...
Paediatrician and Author. Winner of the 1995
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Foundation presented a number of prizes between 1987 and 2011. The main award was called the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was composed of two prizes: the Best Book Prize (overall and regional) was awarded from 1987 to 2011; the Best ...
File:Bethwell Allan Ogot.jpg,
Bethwell Ogot
Bethwell Allan Ogot (born 1929) is a historian from Kenya. He specialises in African history, research methods and theory. One of his works starts by saying that "to tell the story of a past so as to portray an inevitable destiny is, for human ...
Historian
File:Dennis Oliech.jpg,
Dennis Oliech
Dennis Oguta Oliech
(; born 2 February 1985) is a Kenyan retired professional footballer who played as a striker. As a member of the Kenya national team, he became his nation's second all-time goalscorer, behind William "Chege" Ouma (35 goa ...
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor (born 1968) is a Kenyan writer who is the author of novels, short stories and essays. She won the 2003 Caine Prize for African Writing for her story "Weight of Whispers".
Education and professional life
Born in Nairobi, Ke ...
Peter Amollo Odhiambo
Peter Amollo (P. A.) Odhiambo, MBBS, MMed (Surg), FRCS (Edin), FCS (ECSA), FACC, is a Kenyan consultant human thorax, thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon. He is Kenya's first cardiothoracic surgeon and a professor of thoracic surgery, thoracic a ...
*
Thomas R. Odhiambo
Professor Thomas Risley Odhiambo (February 4, 1931 – May 26, 2003) was a Kenyan entomologist and environmental activist who directed research and scientific development in Africa.
Life and education
Odhiambo was educated at Maseno School in Ken ...
*
Bethwell Allan Ogot
Bethwell Allan Ogot (born 1929) is a historian from Kenya. He specialises in African history, research methods and theory. One of his works starts by saying that "to tell the story of a past so as to portray an inevitable destiny is, for human ...
Richard Samson Odingo
Richard Samson Odingo (March 7, 1935 – June 12, 2021) was a Kenyan scientist who was the vice chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) when it was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 2007 with Al Gore. He had held this po ...
*
David Wasawo
Professor David Peter Simon Wasawo (17 May 1923 – 4 February 2014) was a Kenyan zoologist, conservationist, and university administrator. After studying at Uganda's Makerere University he earned an M.A. at the University of Oxford and a PhD at ...
Walter Jaoko
*
Fredrick Ogada
Fredrick may refer to:
* Fredrick (given name), a given name
* Fredrick (surname) Fredrick is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Norton Fredrick (1937–2011), Sri Lankan cricketer
* Zam Fredrick
Zambolist "Zam" Fredrick S ...
*
Zedekiah Solomon Osano
Zedekiah (), was the 20th and last king of Judah before the destruction of the kingdom by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. His birth name was Mattaniah/Mattanyahu ( he, מַתַּנְיָהוּ, ''Mattanyāhū'', "Gift of God"; el, Μαθθ ...
*
Titus Solomon Osano
Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September 81 AD) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death.
Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a mi ...
Susan Mboya
Susan Mboya is a corporate executive and philanthropist who is the Principal and International Advisor for Navigators Global a Washington DC based consulting firm. Susan has been a corporate executive for over 25 years and has held a number of se ...
Rosemary Odinga
Rosemary Odinga (born August 13, 1977) is an entrepreneur, an advocate for alternative agriculture and proponent of social equality from Kenya. She is known for being a snail farmer.
Personal life
Odinga was born August 13, 1977 and is the se ...
Martin Oduor-Otieno
Martin Luke Oduor-Otieno is a certified public secretary, accountant, businessman, entrepreneur and former bank executive in Kenya. He is the current chairman and CEO of ''Leadership Group Limited'', a Nairobi-based consulting firm, that he found ...
Politics, activism, trade unionism, diplomacy and law
Dennis Akumu Dennis Akumu (1934-2016) was a Kenyan politician, trade unionist and independence freedom fighter. He was the first secretary general of the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU).
Early life
James Dennis "JD" Obong Akumu (7 August 19 ...
*
Elijah Omolo Agar Elijah Omolo Agar was the first member of parliament for Karachuonyo Constituency after Kenya got independence from Britain.
He was elected on an independent ticket in the first elections beating Gogo Ochok of Kenya African National Union (KANU). ...
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 ...
Auma Obama
Rita Auma Obama (born 1960), is a Kenyan-British community activist, sociologist, journalist, author, and half-sister of the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama. Obama serves as the executive chairwoman of Sauti Kuu Foundation ( ...
*
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
Sarah Onyango Obama
Sarah Onyango Obama (1922 – March 29, 2021) was a Kenyan educator and philanthropist. She was the third wife of Hussein Onyango Obama, the paternal grandfather of U.S. president Barack Obama and helped raise his father, Barack Obama Sr. She ...
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Oburu Odinga
Oburu Ng'ong'a Oginga (born 15 October 1943) is a Kenyan politician who is currently serving as senator for Siaya County, having been elected in the elections of August 2022. He is an immediate former member for the East African Legislative Asse ...
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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. Odin ...
*
Raila Odinga
Raila Amolo Odinga (born 7 January 1945) is a Kenyan politician, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata and businessman who served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He is assumed to be the Leader of Opposition in Kenya sin ...
*
Joshua Orwa Ojode
Joshua Orwa Ojode (29 December 1958 – 10 June 2012) was a Kenyan politician. He was first appointed to parliament on June 28, 1994 to represent the Ndhiwa Constituency for the National Development party. In 2007 he joined the Orange Democratic ...
Peter Oloo-Aringo
Peter Oloo-Aringo is a Kenyan politician. He previously represented the Alego Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya
The National Assembly of the Republic of Kenya is one of the two Houses of the Parliament of Kenya. Between 1966 an ...
William Odongo Omamo
William Odongo Omamo (27 March 1928 in Bondo, Kenya Colony – 27 April 2010) was a Kenyan politician. He was a minister for Agriculture, Minister for Environment and Natural Resources and a member of parliament for the Bondo Constituency and ...
Phoebe Asiyo Phoebe Asiyo (born September 12, 1932) is a former parliamentarian of Kenya, ambassador to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), mother, and grandmother. She was UNIFEM's ambassador from 1988 to 1992. She was the first woman elevat ...
*
Dalmas Otieno
Hon. Dr. Dalmas Otieno Anyango, D.A., E.G.H, (born 19 April 1945) was born in Kenya. He was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Rongo in 1988, serving as Minister for Industrialisation from 1988 to 1991, then later that year as Mini ...
Raphael Tuju
Raphael Tuju, EGH (born 30 March 1959) is a Kenyan politician. In 2002—after a career as a journalist, TV producer, and real estate investor—Tuju was elected to parliament and has served the Government of Kenya in various capacities since ...
Akothee
Esther Akoth (born 8 April 1983), better known as Akothee, is a Kenyan musician and businesswoman. She is the founder of Akothee Safaris, a tour company based in Kenya, the Akothee Foundation, a charity, and Aknotela and Akothee Homes, a real ...
Esther Arunga
Esther Adongo Arunga, also known as Esther Timberlake, is a barrister and solicitor and former television and radio presenter from Kenya, who now resides in Australia. She is married to Quincy Timberlake and is a co-founder with him of the PlaC ...
*
Omondi Justus Rang'ang'a Omondi is both a surname and a given name. It is most common with the Luo Luo may refer to:
Luo peoples and languages
*Luo peoples, an ethno-linguistic group of eastern and central Africa
**Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania or Joluo, an ethnic grou ...
*
Gaylyne Ayugi
Gaylyne Ayugi (born 1994) is a Kenyan model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned as Miss Universe Kenya 2014 and represented the country at the Miss Universe 2014 pageant.
Early life
Ayugi was born and grew up in Nairobi. Currentl ...
*
Okatch Biggy
Elly Mathayo Okatch, better known as Okatch Biggy (1954–1997) was a Kenyan benga musician. His first album "Helena Wang’e Dongo, released in 1992 brought him into the limelight.
Early life
Okatch (Okatch Biggy) is one of the Kenyan musicia ...
*
Tedd Josiah Tedd Josiah (born 1970) is a music producer from Kenya. He started as a musician, first briefly with the group Ebony Affair before forming a new group, Hart, in 1993.
Early life
The group was disbanded in 1995 and Josiah joined ''Sync Sound Stud ...
*
Princess Jully
Princess Jully (real name Lilian Auma Aoka) is a benga musician from Kenya.
Early life
Lilian Auma Aoka was born in the village of Makalda in South Nyanza, in southwestern part of Kenya. Her father died when she was one week old, leaving her moth ...
Larry Madowo
Larry Madowo (born 14 July 1987) is a Kenyan journalist and a CNN International Correspondent. He was previously a North America Correspondent for the BBC and also anchored breaking news and presented BBC World News America from Washington, DC ...
Daniel Owino Misiani
Daniel Owino Misiani (22 February 1940 – 17 May 2006) was a Tanzanian-born musician based in Kenya, where he led the Shirati Jazz collective. He was known as the "King of History" in Kenya; overseas and in Tanzania, he was known as "the grand ...
*
Mercy Myra Mercy Myra Grundberg, better known as Mercy Myra, is an R&B musician from Kenya.
Biography
In 1996, she joined the ''Calabash Band'' but left it the next year to join the R&B group ''Destinee'' and in 1997 she joined a band called ''Black Ice'' ...
Ayub Ogada
Job Seda (1956 – 1 February 2019), better known as Ayub Ogada, was a Kenyan singer. He was a singer favoring the nyatiti (an eight-stringed lyre with its origins credited to the Luo, a tribe in Nyanza Kenya) as his characteristic instrument. ...
Sidede Onyulo
Sidede Onyulo (1955–2008) was a Kenyan actor, most famous for his role as Owour in Oscar-winning movie ''Nowhere in Africa''.
Early life
Sidede Onyulo was born Peter Sidede Onyulo in Kajulu (Kenya), attended school at Muthaiga Primary (1965– ...
George Ramogi
George Ramogi (1945–1997) was a Kenyan musician, who empowered the traditional luo ''benga and rumba'' genre of music. Ramogi was known for his spur of the good life and his notable appearances at bars and clubs in western Kenya- Nyanza region ...
*Tina Ogal
*
Prince Indah
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...
*
Linet Aluoch Pamba
Linet Mor Menashe ( Turkish: Linet Menaşi, , born 5 March 1975) is an Israeli-born Turkish-Jewish singer, best known for her performances of arabesque and pop music. She is very popular in Turkey, Israel, and the Middle East, mostly thanks to her ...
Writers and playwrights
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Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye
Marjorie Phyllis Oludhe Macgoye (21 October 1928 – 1 December 2015), was born in Southampton, England, but immigrated to Kenya soon after Kenya became independent. She was a poet, novelist, and a missionary bookseller. She studied at the Un ...
*
Asenath Bole Odaga
Asenath Bole Odaga (1937–2014) was a Kenyan publisher and author of novels, plays, children's books, and other literary works. Odaga also promoted literature in Kenyan languages and the study of oral literature by writing in Luo and co-autho ...
* Argwings Odera - Award Winning Investigative Journalist
*
Margaret Ogola
Margaret Atieno Ogola (12 June 1958 – 21 September 2011) was a Kenyan novelist who wrote '' The River and the Source'' and its sequel, '' I Swear by Apollo''. ''The River and the Source'' follows four generations of Kenyan women in a rapidly c ...
Conjestina Achieng
Conjestina Achieng (born 20 October 1977 in Umiru village, Yala division, Siaya District. Conjestina is the fifth born in a family of ten. Her father Clement Adalo is a retired medical officer and her mother is Gertrude Auma. Her elder brother ...
*
Daniel Adongo
Daniel Ojambo Adongo (born ) is a Kenyan sportsman. He moved to South Africa in 2007 to join the ' rugby academy and played professional rugby union in South Africa and New Zealand between 2011 and 2013. He then converted to American football, jo ...
*
Teddy Akumu
Anthony "Teddy" Akumu Agai (born 20 October 1992) is a Kenyan professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for J1 League club Sagan Tosu and the Kenya national team.
Career
Born in Rachuonyo, Akumu has played club football for Gor Mahia, ...
Billy Odhiambo
Billy Odhiambo (born November 7, 1993) is a Kenyan rugby sevens player. He was named in 's squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. He was also selected for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
Odhiambo was part of Kenya's squad in the ...
*
Rees Odhiambo
Rees Odhiambo ( ; born September 23, 1992) is a former Kenyan professional American football offensive guard. He played college football at Boise State. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Odhiambo a ...
David Johnny Oduya
David Johnny Oduya (born 1 October 1981), is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is of Kenyan Luo descent on his father's side. Oduya is a two-time Stanley Cup champion wit ...
*
Joseph Okumu
Joseph Stanley Okumu (born 26 May 1997) is a Kenyan professional footballer who plays as a defender for French club Reims and the Kenya national team.
Club career
Okumu has played club football for Chemelil Sugar, Free State Stars and AFC Ann ...
*
Dennis Oliech
Dennis Oguta Oliech
(; born 2 February 1985) is a Kenyan retired professional footballer who played as a striker. As a member of the Kenya national team, he became his nation's second all-time goalscorer, behind William "Chege" Ouma (35 goa ...
*
Michael Olunga
Michael Olunga Ogada (born 26 March 1994) is a Kenyan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Qatari club Al-Duhail and captains the Kenya national team.
Club career
Early career and Gor Mahia
While still a student at the Upper ...
Eric Johana Omondi
Eric Johana Omondi (born 18 August 1994) is a Kenya, Kenyan professional professional, footballer who plays for Thai club Muangthong United F.C., Muangthong United as an Midfielder (association football)#Attacking midfielder, attacking midfielde ...
*
Brian Onyango
Brian Mandela Onyango (born 24 July 1994) is a Kenyan professional footballer who currently plays for the Kenya national team and Mamelodi Sundowns as a centre back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position ...
*
Lameck Onyango
Lameck Onyango Ngoche (born 22 September 1973) is a former Kenyan cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler. Though initially not one of cricket's more successful figures, his career began a turnaround during his ...
*
Peter Opiyo
Peter Opiyo Odhiambo (born 1 August 1992 in Bondo), nicknamed "Pinchez", is a Kenyan footballer. He primarily plays as a midfielder, currently turns out for Kenyan side Nairobi City Stars. He previously played for Kenyan Premier League clubs ...
*
Arnold Origi
Arnold Otieno Origi (born 15 November 1983) is a Kenyan professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Hødd in the Norwegian 2. divisjon. He is one of the most successful keepers in Kenya, and the only Kenyan goalkeeper to play in Europe ...
*
Divock Origi
Divock Okoth Origi (born 18 April 1995) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for club AC Milan and the Belgium national team.
Origi began his career at Lille, and scored on his professional debut for them in 2013. A y ...
*
Ian Otieno
Ian Otieno (born 9 August 1993) is a Kenyan international footballer who plays for ZESCO United as a goalkeeper.
Career
Born in Siaya, Otieno has played club football for Posta Rangers, A.F.C. Leopards, Red Arrows and ZESCO United
ZESCO Uni ...
Mark Ouma Mark Muga Ouma (10 September 1960 – 10 July 2016) was a Ugandan-born Kenyan athletics journalist and philosophy academic.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, to Bernadette and Joseph Ouma (an academic), Mark Ouma grew up studying in his birthplace, Kenya, ...
*
David Owino
David Owino Odhiambo (born 5 April 1988), nicknamed "Calabar", is a Kenyan footballer who plays for ZESCO United in the Zambian Premier League and the Kenya national team as a defender. He previously played for Gor Mahia in the Kenyan Premier ...
*
Eric Ouma
Eric Ouma Otieno (born 27 September 1996) is a Kenyan international footballer who plays for Swedish club AIK. Mainly a left back, he can also be deployed in all other positions on the left side.
Club career
Born in Nairobi, Ouma signed a six ...
*
David Tikolo
Lazaro Openda Tikolo (born 27 December 1964) is a former Kenyan cricketer. He has played three One Day Internationals for Kenya.
His two brothers Tom Tikolo and Steve Tikolo
''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocori ...
*
Steve Tikolo
''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen
Notable people with the name include:
steve jops
* Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people
* Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people
* Steve ...
*
Tom Tikolo
Tom Jones Tikolo (born 24 October 1961) is a former Kenyan cricketer. He captained Kenya in 22 ICC Trophy games, more than anyone else. Despite that, he only played in one first class match, although he did well, scoring 79 in one innings. After ...
See also
* Arthur Carscallen, as superintendent of the Seventh-day Adventist Mission in British East Africa from 1906–1921, he compiled and published the first Dholuo grammar and dictionary.
* Kisumu City - The third-largest city in Kenya
*
Gor Mahia FC
Gor Mahia Football Club (), commonly also known as ''K'Ogalo'' (), is a football club based in Nairobi, Kenya. They have won the Kenyan Premier League a record 19 times, and have also won the FKF President's Cup a record 11 times. They are the on ...
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*
Legio Maria
Legio Maria (ungrammatical Latin, "Legion of Mary")—also known as Legio Maria of African Church Mission, and Maria Legio—is an African initiated church or new religious movement among the Luo people of western Kenya. It emerged as an exte ...
, a large religious group originating in Luoland
* Luo peoples - several ethnically and linguistically related Nilotic ethnic groups
* Luo Union (Welfare Organisation) - A defunct
East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historica ...
* Kyle Keith. "The Politics of The Independence of Kenya." Palgrave MacMillan 1999
* Ogot, Bethwell A., ''History of the Southern Luo: Volume I, Migration and Settlement, 1500–1900'', (Series: ''Peoples of East Africa''),
East African Publishing House The East African Publishing House (EAPH) was a publishing company established in Nairobi in 1965. It was the first indigenous publishing firm in East Africa.
History
The East African Institute of Social and Cultural Affairs started to consider the ...
, Nairobi, 1967
* Reich, David. Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group (27 March 2018).
References
Suggested reading
* Herbich, Ingrid. "The Luo." In ''Encyclopedia of World Cultures Supplement'', C. Ember, M. Ember and I. Skoggard (eds.), pp. 189–194. New York: Macmillan Reference, 2002
* Ogot, Bethwell A., ''History of the Southern Luo: Volume I, Migration and Settlement, 1500–1900'', (Series: ''Peoples of East Africa''),
East African Publishing House The East African Publishing House (EAPH) was a publishing company established in Nairobi in 1965. It was the first indigenous publishing firm in East Africa.
History
The East African Institute of Social and Cultural Affairs started to consider the ...
, Nairobi, 1967
* Senogazake, George, ''Folk Music of Kenya'',
* Mwakikagile, Godfrey, ''Ethnic Politics in Kenya and Nigeria'',
Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Nova Science Publishers is an academic publisher of books, encyclopedias, handbooks, e-books and journals, based in Hauppauge, New York. It was founded in 1985. A prolific publisher of books, Nova has received criticism from librarians for not a ...
, Huntington, New York, 2001; Godfrey Mwakikagile, ''Kenya: Identity of A Nation'', New Africa Press, Pretoria, South Africa, 2008.