The Adhola people , also known as Jopadhola , are a Nilotic ethnic group of Luo peoples that live in Tororo District of Eastern Uganda and comprise about eight percent of the country's total population. They speak Dhopadhola , (a Luo language ), which belongs to the Western Nilotic branch of the Nilotic language family . They are primarily pastoralists . The Jopadhola call their land Padhola which, according to historian Bethwell Ogot, is an elliptic form of "Pa Adhola" meaning the "place of Adhola", the founding father of the Jopadhola people. Officially, land of the Adhola is called Padhola , but the Baganda who misinterpret 'Widoma' – a Dhopadhola word for 'war cry' meaning 'You are in trouble' refer to the Jopadhola as "Badama". The social structure of the Jopadhola can be described as semi centralised because there is no traditional centralized government and its organization is limited to a clan called Nono . There are over 52 clans, each with cultural practices, common ancestry and a distinct lineage.
31-399: Clans reproduce their notion of an independent court called koti using an abridged legal doctrine of separation of powers, and partially mimicking lower level government(local councils) and judicial features. The koti conflates executive and judicial functions, furthermore, legal qualifications are largely irrelevant. The composition of the koti aims to achieve age and gender parity through
62-476: A forested area as a defence against attacks from Bantu neighbours who had already settled there. Unlike some other small Luo tribes, this self-imposed isolation helped them to maintain their language and culture amidst Bantu and Ateker communities. Those Luo who proceeded their migration eastwards into present day Kenya and Tanzania are the JoLuo (commonly referred to only as Luo). Legend has it that Owiny,
93-423: A forested area as a defence against attacks from Bantu neighbours who had already settled there. Unlike some other small Luo tribes, this self-imposed isolation helped them to maintain their language and culture amidst Bantu and Ateker communities. Those Luo who proceeded their migration eastwards into present day Kenya and Tanzania are the JoLuo (commonly referred to only as Luo). Legend has it that Owiny,
124-524: A grassy region that is flat and virtually treeless. During the rainy season, this area floods, so that much of it becomes swampland with various channels of deep water running through it. The Anuak who live in the lowlands of Gambela are Luo people . These have accused the current Ethiopian government of encroachment. The government's oppression has affected the Anuak's access to education, health care, and other basic services, as well as limiting opportunities for
155-778: A thickly forested area as a defence against attacks from Bantu neighbours who had already settled there. This self-imposed isolation helped them maintain their language and culture amidst Bantu and Ateker communities. Those who went further a field were the Jo k'Ajok and Jo k'Owiny. The Ajok Luo moved deeper into the Kavirondo Gulf; their descendants are the present-day Jo Kisumo and Jo Karachuonyo amongst others. Jo k'Owiny occupied an area near Got Ramogi or Ramogi hill in Alego of Siaya district. The Owiny's ruins are still identifiable to this day at Bungu Owiny near Lake Kanyaboli . The other notable Luo group
186-399: Is built between the two families. Thereafter, the boy's parents constantly visits the girl's family and ceremonies are organized. Once the girl's parents agree to a hand in marriage, the father of the boy puts a bracelet on the girl's wrist to show she is booked for marriage. Once the boy reaches 18 years and the girl reaches 16 years, the boy's parent shows his son the home of the girl. The boy
217-399: Is built between the two families. Thereafter, the boy's parents constantly visits the girl's family and ceremonies are organized. Once the girl's parents agree to a hand in marriage, the father of the boy puts a bracelet on the girl's wrist to show she is booked for marriage. Once the boy reaches 18 years and the girl reaches 16 years, the boy's parent shows his son the home of the girl. The boy
248-410: Is culturally appropriate for their local African context. The Jopadhola arrived in southeastern Uganda in the 16th century during the long journey Luo migration from Egypt . They first settled in central Uganda, but gradually moved southwards and eastwards. Their kin who settled northern and central Uganda are Acholi and Alur populations, who speak languages similar to Dhopadhola. They settled in
279-409: Is culturally appropriate for their local African context. The Jopadhola arrived in southeastern Uganda in the 16th century during the long journey Luo migration from Egypt . They first settled in central Uganda, but gradually moved southwards and eastwards. Their kin who settled northern and central Uganda are Acholi and Alur populations, who speak languages similar to Dhopadhola. They settled in
310-593: Is expected to go and bring the girl home, a matter that needs force to be applied in case of resistance. Kwar Adhola Moses Stephen Owor is the current king (His Highness) for the Adhola people. Jopadhola speak a language which is mutually intelligible with Acholi language , Alur language of Uganda and Dholuo language of Kenya. They call their language Dhopadhola. The prefix dho means "language of" and jo means "people of". The infix pa means possessive 'of' – hence Jopadhola means people of Adhola, and Dhopadhola
341-539: Is expected to go and bring the girl home, a matter that needs force to be applied in case of resistance. Kwar Adhola Moses Stephen Owor is the current king (His Highness) for the Adhola people. Jopadhola speak a language which is mutually intelligible with Acholi language , Alur language of Uganda and Dholuo language of Kenya. They call their language Dhopadhola. The prefix dho means "language of" and jo means "people of". The infix pa means possessive 'of' – hence Jopadhola means people of Adhola, and Dhopadhola
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#1732854932115372-652: Is the Omolo Luo who inhabited Ugenya and Gem areas of Siaya district. The last immigrants were the Jo Kager, who are related to the Omollo Luo. Their leader Ochieng Waljak Ger used his advanced military skill to drive away the Omiya or Bantu groups, who were then living in present-day Ugenya around 1750AD. Between about 1500 and 1800, other Luo groups crossed into present-day Kenya and eventually into present-day Tanzania . They inhabited
403-602: The Bahr el Ghazal area in the early centuries of the second millennium AD (about eight hundred years ago). A further division within the Northern Luo is recorded in a "widespread tradition" in Luo oral history : the foundational figure of the Shilluk (or Chollo) nation was a chief named Nyikango , dated to about the mid-15th century. After a quarrel with his brother, he moved northward along
434-709: The Nilotic group of people. The Nilotes had separated from the other members of the East Sudanic family by about the 3rd millennium BC. Within Nilotic, Luo forms part of the Western group. Within Luo, a Northern and a Southern group is distinguished. Dholuo is part of the Southern Luo group. Northern Luo is mostly spoken in South Sudan, while Southern Luo groups migrated south from
465-668: The Western Nilotic branch of the Nilotic language family . They are primarily pastoralists . The Jopadhola call their land Padhola which, according to historian Bethwell Ogot, is an elliptic form of "Pa Adhola" meaning the "place of Adhola", the founding father of the Jopadhola people. Officially, land of the Adhola is called Padhola , but the Baganda who misinterpret 'Widoma' – a Dhopadhola word for 'war cry' meaning 'You are in trouble' refer to
496-485: The koti aims to achieve age and gender parity through the appointment of youth and women representatives. The election of office bearers is based on fulfilling social obligations to kin through meritocracy, and to protecting of the clan from evil through ritual ( chowiroki ). Dr. Maureen Owor argues that given the fact that the court and litigants are personally acquainted as kin, Jopadhola clans appear to have created an "expanded" notion of "judicial" independence – one that
527-732: The western branch of the Nilotic language family . The Luo groups in South Sudan include the Shilluk , Anuak , Pari , Acholi , Balanda Boor , Thuri and Luwo . Those in Uganda include the Alur , Acholi , Jonam and Padhola . The ones in Kenya and Tanzania are the Joluo (also called Luo in Kenyan English). The Joluo and their language Dholuo are also known as the "Luo proper" by Kenya based observers, even though their dialect has more Bantu loan words than
558-567: The 18th century, other Luo-speaking people moved to the area that encompasses present-day South Sudan, Northern Uganda, and North-Eastern Congo (DRC) – forming the Alur , Jonam and Acholi . Between the middle of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century, some Luo groups proceeded eastwards. One group called Padhola (or Jopadhola - people of Adhola), led by a chief called Adhola, settled in Budama in Eastern Uganda. They settled in
589-658: The Jopadhola as "Badama". The social structure of the Jopadhola can be described as semi centralised because there is no traditional centralized government and its organization is limited to a clan called Nono . There are over 52 clans, each with cultural practices, common ancestry and a distinct lineage. Clans reproduce their notion of an independent court called koti using an abridged legal doctrine of separation of powers, and partially mimicking lower level government(local councils) and judicial features. The koti conflates executive and judicial functions, furthermore, legal qualifications are largely irrelevant. The composition of
620-449: The Nile and established a feudal society. The Pari people descend from the group that rejected Nyikango. The Anuak are a Luo people whose villages are scattered along the banks and rivers of the southwestern area of Ethiopia, with others living directly across the border in South Sudan. The name of these people is also spelled Anyuak, Agnwak, and Anywaa. The Anuak of South Sudan lives in
651-427: The appointment of youth and women representatives. The election of office bearers is based on fulfilling social obligations to kin through meritocracy, and to protecting of the clan from evil through ritual ( chowiroki ). Dr. Maureen Owor argues that given the fact that the court and litigants are personally acquainted as kin, Jopadhola clans appear to have created an "expanded" notion of "judicial" independence – one that
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#1732854932115682-648: The area of Bunyoro . These Luo settled with the Bantu and established the Babiito dynasty, replacing the Bachwezi dynasty of the Empire of Kitara . According to the legends, Isingoma Mpuga Rukidi (Grandson to Labongo), the first in the line of the Babiito kings of Bunyoro-Kitara , was the twin brother of Kato Kimera, the first king of Buganda . These Luo were assimilated into the Bantu's society and lost their language and culture. Later in
713-522: The area on the banks of Lake Victoria . According to the Joluo , a warrior chief named Ramogi Ajwang led them into present-day Kenya about 500 years ago. As in Uganda, some non-Luo people in Kenya have adopted Luo languages. A majority of the Bantu Suba people in Kenya speak Dholuo as a first language and have largely been assimilated. The Luo in Kenya , who call themselves Joluo ("people of Luo"), are
744-590: The development of the area. The Acholi also spelt Acoli, another Luo people in South Sudan, occupy what is now called Magwi County in Eastern Equatorial State. They border the Uganda Acoli of Northern Uganda. The South Sudan Acholi numbered about 10,000 on the 2008 population Census. In the 1500s, a small group of Luo known as the Biito-Luo (Paluo), led by Labongo encountered Bantu-speaking peoples living in
775-688: The fourth largest community in Kenya after the Kikuyu , Luhya and Kalenjin . In 2017 their population was estimated to be 6.1 million. In Tanzania they numbered (in 2010) an estimated 1,980,000 [1] . The Luo in Kenya and Tanzania call their language Dholuo , which is mutually intelligible (to varying degrees) with the languages of the Alur, Acoli, and Padhola of Uganda, South Sudan and Jo Nam or Alur of Congo. The Luo (or Joluo) are traditional fishermen and practice fishing as their main economic activity. Other cultural activities included wrestling (yii or dhao) kwath for
806-466: The language of the Jo'padhola. Luo (family of ethnic groups) The Luo (also spelled Lwo ) are several ethnically and linguistically related Nilotic ethnic groups that inhabit an area ranging from Egypt and Sudan to South Sudan and Ethiopia , through Northern Uganda and eastern Congo (DRC) , into western Kenya , and the Mara Region of Tanzania . Their Luo languages belong to
837-531: The largest single ethnic group in East Africa. This includes peoples who share Luo ancestry and/or speak a Luo language. Jopadhola The Adhola people , also known as Jopadhola , are a Nilotic ethnic group of Luo peoples that live in Tororo District of Eastern Uganda and comprise about eight percent of the country's total population. They speak Dhopadhola , (a Luo language ), which belongs to
868-512: The leader of the Kenyan Luo was the brother of Adhola the leader of the Jopadhola who decided to settle in Tororo instead of going along with his brother towards Kenya and Tanzania. The Jopadhola marriages were arranged and men were not expected to hunt for women. As soon as a father bore a baby boy, his responsibility was to look for a parent with a new born baby girl where a strong relationship bond
899-407: The leader of the Kenyan Luo was the brother of Adhola the leader of the Jopadhola who decided to settle in Tororo instead of going along with his brother towards Kenya and Tanzania. The Jopadhola marriages were arranged and men were not expected to hunt for women. As soon as a father bore a baby boy, his responsibility was to look for a parent with a new born baby girl where a strong relationship bond
930-506: The rest. The level of historical separation between these groups is estimated at eight centuries. Dispersion from an alleged Nilotic core region in South Sudan is presumed to have been triggered by the turmoil of the Muslim conquest of Sudan . The migration of individual groups over the last few centuries can to some extent be traced in the respective group's oral history . The Luo are part of
961-613: The young boys aged 13 to 18 in their age sets. Their main rivals in the 18th century were the Lango, the Highland Nilotes, who traditionally engaged them in fierce bloody battles, most of which emanated from the stealing of their livestock. The Luo people of Kenya are nilotes and are related to the Nilotic people. The Luo people of Kenya are the fourth largest community in Kenya after the Kikuyu and, together with their brethren in Tanzania, form