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120-790: He is regarded as the greatest ruler of the Wanga Kingdom for his management of the British colonial transition leading to British occupation in Kenya in the 20th century. He led a kingdom that was famous for trade with Arabs in slaves at a time when the Wanga Kingdom was under extreme military pressure from the Luo-Nyanza . This slave trade between the Arab and the Wanga led to capturing of non-Wanga tribes into slavery such as Luo-Nyanza and Bukusu who were also enemies of

240-601: A Ker . The second Lu 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 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

360-603: A Maxim gun . 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

480-486: A British expedition against the Nandi . The British set up regional headquarters first at Mumias then at Kisumu . 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. The Seventh-day Adventist Church missionaries were amongst the earliest Christian missionaries to proselytise to Luo people. Arthur Carscallen ,

600-592: A Canadian Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) was the first Adventist to work in Kenya with Peter Nyambo, from Nyasaland (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 . These missionaries established stations at Wire Hill, Rusinga Island , Kanyadoto, Karung, Kisii and Kamagambo. These were all in South Nyanza . The first Luo SDA converts were baptised on 21 May 1911. Carscallen

720-561: 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

840-451: A Luo, Hezekiah Ochuka was foiled. Oginga Odinga and his son Raila Odinga 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

960-448: 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

1080-466: A deep voice and his shyness towards strangers made his father Nabongo Wamukoya repeatedly loath him for being an unlikely candidate for the Nabongoship (kingship). Nevertheless, his father eventually appointed him heir reluctantly. Nabongo Mumia's mother Queen Wamanya supported Nabongo Mumia's quest of inheritance of the kingdom and even manoeuvered against other members of the family who were in line to

1200-580: A foundation for successful legal claims by former Mau Mau detainees against the British government for crimes committed in the camps. The Colony and the Protectorate each came to an end on 12 December 1963. The United Kingdom ceded sovereignty over the Colony of Kenya under an agreement dated 8 October 1963. The Sultan agreed that simultaneous with independence for Kenya, the Sultan would cease to have sovereignty over

1320-534: A kidney infection at the Kenyatta National Hospital. The Council's wrangles continued after his demise with 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 Current Ker is Jaduong Odungi Randa, who was crowned on 22nd December 2023 becoming the 9th Ker . Attempts to centralize

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1440-582: A population closely related to Nilotic peoples . This population later received significant gene flow from Middle Eastern 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 which included Kerma and Meroe and the medieval christian kingdoms of Makuria , Nobatia and Alodia . These studies suggest that populations closely related to Nilotic people long inhabited

1560-453: A proxy cold war in Kenya. Local politics became enmeshed with cold war ideological divisions. Odinga and Bildad Kaggia , 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

1680-705: A republic under the name " Republic of Kenya ". In 1948, the Kenyan government consisted of the Governor, the Executive Council advising him and the Legislative Council . The Executive Council consisted of seven ex-officio members, two appointed Europeans, one appointed European representing African interests, and one appointed Asian (Indian) Ambalal Bhailalbhai Patel. The Legislative Council consisted of 16 appointed officials and 22 elected unofficial members. In 1954,

1800-737: 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"). 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

1920-428: A single administrative unit. The colony came to an end in 1963 when a native Kenyan majority government was elected for the first time and eventually declared independence . The Colony and Protectorate of Kenya was established on 23 July 1920 when the territories of the former East Africa Protectorate (except those parts of that Protectorate over which His Majesty the Sultan of Zanzibar had sovereignty) were annexed by

2040-401: 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 (E1b1a) which is common among Bantu speaking peoples. Traditionally, the Luo people were a patriarchal society with a decentralized government system. The family was headed by

2160-535: 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 following the 2007 general elections. The campaign and election period were heavily polarised along ethnic lines. Raila Odinga led the Orange Democratic Movement against Mwai Kibaki 's Party of National Unity . A power sharing agreement mediated by Kofi Annan led to

2280-786: The Acholi and Padhola people. As they moved into Kenya and Tanzania, they underwent significant genetic and cultural modifications 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 supplemented by hunting. Today, the Luo comprise a significant fraction of East Africa '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 and Nigel N. Mwangi were key figures in

2400-499: The Acholi , Adhola and Alur people (From Uganda and parts of South Sudan and Eastern Congo ), especially Acholi and Padhola . It is estimated that Dholuo has 90% lexical similarity with Lep Alur ( Alur language ); 83% with Lep Achol ( Acholi language ); 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

2520-705: The African Nationalist struggle . Luo scientists, such as Thomas Risley Odhiambo Nandy (founder of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) and winner of UNESCO's Albert Einstein Gold Medal in 1991) and Washington Yotto Ochieng (winner of the Harold Spencer-Jones Gold Medal in 2019 from The Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN)) have achieved international acclaim for their contributions. Prof. Richard S. Odingo

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2640-662: The Babiito dynasty in Uganda . This group assimilated into Bantu culture. The Luo of Kenya and Tanzania are classified as Southern Luo . and are the only 'river lake Nilotes' having migrated and lived along the Nile river . They entered Kenya and Tanzania via Uganda from the Bahr el-Ghazal region in South Sudan . The Luo speakers who migrated into Kenya were chiefly from four Luo-speaking groups:

2760-686: The Kenya African Union . Harry Thuku , a pioneering Kikuyu politician, founded the Kenya African Study Union in 1944 which later became the Kenya African Union . This was an African nationalist organisation that demanded amongst other things, access to white owned land. It was multitribal. Jomo Kenyatta became president of KAU in 1947. In an effort to gain nationwide support of KAU, Jomo Kenyatta visited Kisumu in 1952. His effort to build up support for KAU in Nyanza inspired Oginga Odinga ,

2880-648: The Kenya Defence Force , and the Kikuyu Guard during the Mau Mau Uprising . . Throughout the post colonial period, Kenya transitioned to a republic that consisted of two legislative chambers that was outlined in their Constitution created in the mid-1960s. Since its implementation, it has been amended to give the region a unicameral assembly that consists of ministers who sit in on the assembly. Corporal punishment , such as flogging , caning , and birching ,

3000-541: The Ker (chief) of the Luo Union to join KAU and delve into politics. 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 (1952–60). Instead, they used their education to advance

3120-764: 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 Luhya (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 , southwestern Ethiopia , northern and eastern Uganda , southwestern Kenya , and northern Tanzania , making them

3240-671: The Moi administration. Oginga Odinga 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 . 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 soldiers in August, led by

3360-474: The National Development Party of Kenya (NDP) which had considerable Luo support. This party merged with KANU in 2002, just before the general elections . Raila Odinga is widely credited with enabling Mwai Kibaki to win the 2002 presidential election through the support of his Liberal Democratic Party . This relationship turned sour however and Raila Odinga led the vote against Mwai Kibaki in

3480-711: 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 started

3600-581: The United States of America through the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (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's People's Convention Party . It became the most organised and effective political party in

3720-514: 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 , 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

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3840-688: The 2007 Nobel peace prize. 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 and Bantu ancestry, amongst others, to varying degrees. They also found that, by and large, genetic clusters were consistent with linguistic classification, with notable exceptions including

3960-452: The British and accepting to collaborate with the British many years before other communities in Kenya had an interaction with foreigners or participated in international trade. This foresight eventually paid off when he was appointed paramount chief in a gazetted appointment that legitimately made chiefs of different regions that previously repeatedly resisted Wanga kingdom leadership eventually submit to him. Previous failed military conquests of

4080-995: The Colony and Protectorate from the 1880s included the East African Regiment which became the King's African Rifles ; the East African Military Labour Service 1915–1918; the East African Mounted Rifles during the First World War 1914–17; the East African Ordnance Corps; the East African Pay Corps; the East African Pioneer Corps; three East African Reconnaissance Regiments; the East African Artillery

4200-494: The East African Common Services Civil Servants Union) and detained without trial. The Cold War 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 , widely touted as the heir apparent to Kenyatta,

4320-952: The East African Road Construction Corps; the East African Scouts from March 1943, which served as 81st (West Africa) Division 's reconnaissance unit in Burma; the East African Signal Corps; the East African Army Service Corps, expanded quickly at the start of the campaign against Italy in 1941 from 300 to 4,600; the East African Transport Corps; the Kenya Armoured Car Regiment; the Kenya Regiment of white settlers;

4440-408: The Governor as president, a Speaker as vice-president and 56 members. Of the 56, eight sat ex-officio, 18 were appointed by the Governor and took the government whip, 14 were elected Europeans, six were elected Asians, one was an elected Arab, and eight were appointed Africans sitting on the non-government side. There was one appointed Arab sitting on the non-government side. Military forces formed in

4560-470: The Harold Spencer-Jones Gold Medal 2019 from The Royal Institute of Navigation (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 , vice-chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which received

4680-514: The Indian pressed his case, white South Africa rose in alarm. If the Indian became a recognized man, landholder and voter in Kenya, what of Natal? The British Government speculated and procrastinated and then announced its decision: East Africa was primarily a "trusteeship" for the Africans and not for the Indians. The Indians, then, must be satisfied with limited industrial and political rights, while for

4800-439: The Indians asked rights, the whites replied that this would injure the rights of the natives. Immediately the natives began to awake. Few of them were educated but they began to form societies and formulate grievances. A black political consciousness arose for the first time in Kenya. Immediately the Indians made a bid for the support of this new force and asked rights and privileges for all British subjects—white, brown and black. As

4920-405: 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 political intrigues were at play in local Kenyan politics. The western and eastern blocs actively sought to influence local policy making and win allies resulting in

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5040-530: The Langi, Acholi, and Alur, the Luo do not practice the ritual circumcision of males as initiation . Local churches include Legio Maria , Roho , Nomiya and Fweny among others. There are Luo Muslim communities, with a notable group living in Kisumu, Kenya . Historically, couples were introduced to each other by matchmakers, but this is not common now. Like many other communities in Kenya, marriage practices among

5160-779: The Legislative Council (MLCs) was in 1957. Tom Mboya and Oginga Odinga were elected. In June 1958, Oginga Odinga called for the release of Jomo Kenyatta 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

5280-516: 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 Town. One of the many business ventures it engaged in included

5400-436: The Luo community continue to achieve prominence in Kenya. These include, James Orengo , Professor Anyang' Nyong'o , Peter Oloo-Aringo , Dalmas Otieno and Peter Ombija . Dr. PLO Lumumba who is the former Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission director also is a Luo. Lupita Nyong'o won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film 12 Years a Slave in 2014. Prominent Luo doctors and scientists include

5520-431: 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

5640-586: 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

5760-743: The Luo people under one authority have not been easy given their history with a decentralized government structure. 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 removed six lower teeth because of lock jaw disease that had affected Luo land A popular Luo meal includes fish (rech) especially tilapia (ngege) and omena , usually accompanied with ugali (called kuon in Dholuo) and traditional vegetables like osuga and apoth . Traditional Luo diet consisted of kuon made of sorghum or millet accompanied by fish, meat, or vegetable stews. Like many ethnic communities in Uganda, including

5880-415: 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 into Uganda and western Kenya 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 and Alodia ,

6000-451: 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 , 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 and prominent advocate for African affairs, formalised and canalised

6120-464: The Protectorate of Kenya. In this way, Kenya became an independent country under the Kenya Independence Act 1963, which established the independent Commonwealth realm of Kenya , with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was the first prime minister. On 26th May 1963, Kenya had its first elections and a new red, green, black and white flag was introduced. Exactly 12 months after independence, on 12 December 1964, Kenya became

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6240-474: 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 in Uganda after the civil strife that followed the murder of the 24th Kabaka of Buganda in the mid 18th century and settled in South Nyanza , especially at Rusinga and Mfangano islands. Luo speakers crossed Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria from Northern Nyanza into South Nyanza starting in

6360-425: The UK ran concentration camps and "enclosed villages" in Kenya during the 1950s, where nearly the entire Kikuyu population was confined. Many thousands were tortured, murdered, or died from hunger and disease. The British government systematically destroyed almost all records of these crimes, burning them or dumping them at sea in weighted crates, and replaced them with fake files. However, Elkins's book later served as

6480-409: The UK. The Kenya Protectorate was established on 29th November 1920 when the territories of the former East Africa Protectorate which were not annexed by the UK were established as a British Protectorate. The Protectorate of Kenya was governed as part of the Colony of Kenya by virtue of an agreement between the United Kingdom and the Sultan dated 14 December 1895. In the 1920s, natives objected to

6600-531: The Wanga Kingdom especially because of repeated conflicts on matters of territorial boundaries against the Luo-ugenya, failed conquests of additional lands and territories within the Luo-ugenya lands. The Arabs were able to capture slaves from the Luo and Bukusu by directly participating in fighting enemies of the Wanga Kingdom. These repeated interactions with the Arab later made the Wanga predominantly Islam . Around 1890, when Fredick Lugard met Nabongo Mumia, he observed that he spoke pretty good Swahili and

6720-548: The Wanga Kingdom of lands and communities that previously aggressively threatened the stability and supremacy of the kingdom now were forced to report to him. Some of the chiefs that were appointed and reported to him included: Chief Chabasinga who managed Uganda region of Jinja Busonga, Lenan Tenai of Maasai and chief Odera Akang'o who managed Luo Nyanza among others who managed Maragoli , Bukusu , Kisa , Butsoso, Kabras , Busia among others. Nabongo Mumia had completely annihilated military and territorial threats against

6840-403: The Wanga Kingdom political relevance and economic development, because the Wanga Kingdom and regions that were peopled by the Wanga Kingdom remained underdeveloped and were not involved in major political developments such as independence , and subsequent political formations after independence. Another chance at political relevance was wasted during the coronation of King Edward . Nabongo Mumia

6960-441: The Wanga Kingdom since early 19th century. It was not until the change of leadership at the Wanga Kingdom, at the beginning of the reign of Nabongo Mumia, that the Wanga Kingdom began to employ the Arabs and Swahili traders in fighting enemies of the kingdom directly. The Arabs were in search for land to hunt for game and slaves. Nabongo Mumia changed strategy from that employed by previous Wanga kings by employing Arabs directly in

7080-652: The Wanga Kingdom, Nabongo Mumia remained fiercely loyal to the colonial administration until his death. When Mumia died in 1949 of old age , major high-ranking members of the colonial administration such as Philip Mitchell were in attendance. Mumia's royal background caused a dilemma to the colonial officers. He was “retired” by the colonial authorities in 1926, but maintained influence until his death on April 24, 1949. He left behind multiple descendants including 109 sons, 60 daughters and 400 grandchildren. Kenya Colony The Colony and Protectorate of Kenya , commonly known as British Kenya or British East Africa ,

7200-421: The Wanga Kingdom. This victory made Nabongo Mumia a legend among the Abaluya , communities that were conquered and larger Kenya to this day. Because of his intelligence he had managed to win century-old military wars without any bloodshed despite the fact that he was illiterate. Between 1913 and 1926, the Wanga Kingdom experienced exponential growth of its economy. It was during this time that Nabongo Mumia became

7320-425: The Wanga kingdom because of their repeated insurgents against the kingdom. This constant insurgents and military attacks led Nabongo Mumia to collaborate with the British who made him a paramount chief of an expansive region of East Africa with various chiefs reporting to him such as Chief Chabasinga who managed Jinja Busonga , Lenan Tenai who managed the Maasai and chief Odera Akang'o who managed Luo Nyanza . At

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7440-428: The administration. For instance when the British regazetted the geographical region previously under Nabongo Mumia as paramount chief, he still thought that he exercised authority in regions regazetted out of his region. Although he still had personal influence before and after the regazettement, he did not utilize it for political relevance. This inability to distinguish technicalities of his personal influence and that of

7560-431: 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

7680-593: 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. Archaeological and ethnographic analyses of

7800-404: The assistance of Thurgood Marshall , an American Lawyer and civil rights activist to draft the first constitution. After Kenya became independent on 12 December 1963, Oginga Odinga declined the presidency of Kenya and agreed to assume the vice presidency with Jomo Kenyatta as the head of government. Their administration represented the Kenya African National Union (KANU) party. The Luo and

7920-451: 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 - Piny which losely translates to Tribal state. Piny was headed by a merit based hereditary chieftaincy by the eldest son WoR uoth (prince/son of the Ruoth) . The Ruoth was crowned by a diviner - Jabilo who was also his spiritual and military advisor. The Luo government structure

8040-513: The black native—the white Englishman spoke! A conservative Indian leader speaking in England after this decision said that if the Indian problem in South Africa were allowed to fester much longer it would pass beyond the bounds of domestic issue and would become a question of foreign policy upon which the unity of the Empire might founder irretrievably. The Empire could never keep its colored races within it by force, he said, but only by preserving and safeguarding their sentiments. The population in 1921

8160-446: 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

8280-426: 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 , Kenya continues to struggle with poverty and HIV/AIDS . Local and international pressure in the early 1990s resulted in the Moi government repealing the amendment of section 2A of

8400-480: 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 , Kenneth Matiba and Martin Shikuku 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 started

8520-583: The country. It later merged with the Kenya Independence Movement 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 winner Wangari Maathai , former vice president George Saitoti and Barack Obama 's father, Barack Obama Sr . The first election for African Members of

8640-525: 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

8760-772: The despised Kipande (Identifying metal band worn around the neck). Mass meetings were organized separately by Luo people in Kavirondo and the Kikuyu people in Nairobi . 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 to the Kenya Colony . A series of meetings dubbed Piny Owacho (Voice of

8880-740: 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 in Sudan , 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

9000-470: 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 in East Africa to produce ceramics. Twa people are thought to have created

9120-478: The end of colonialism, rather than actively inducing it. This movement was classified as a millennialist cult . Mumboism 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 sought to protest pro-settler policies, and increased taxes on Africans and

9240-433: The eventual loss of political relevance of the Wanga Kingdom, although Nabongo Mumia remained a powerful and influential figure until his death in 1949. His prominence, power and influence was evident in during his burial in 1949 when high-ranking members of the colonial government were in attendance. Nabongo Mumia was born a prince between 1849 and 1852. His parents were Nabongo Shiundu Wamukoya and Wamanya. Nabongo Mumia

9360-425: 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

9480-421: The fevers of the tropics and here England proposed to send her sick and impoverished soldiers of the war. Following the lead of South Africa, Britain took usurped five million acres of the best lands from the 3,000,000 native inhabitants, herded them towards the swamps giving them nothing as compensation, even there, no sure title; then by taxation the British forced sixty percent of the black adults into slavery for

9600-696: The first ever Luhya to own a vehicle and a motor cycle. During this time when the American Singer Corporation was expanding its products around the world, its first products were sold in the Wanga Kingdom in East Africa. By 1926, when the British were beginning to get concerned about Nabongo Mumia's influence on their conflicting interests with their leadership direction about the colonial administration management, they retired him and regazetted his administrative region of management. The colonial administration continued to pay his salary until his death. At

9720-564: The former Nyanza province in Kenya 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

9840-615: The gap, achieving prominence on the political scene. Tom Mboya 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 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

9960-528: 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

10080-402: The government was reformed to create a Council of Ministers as "the principal instrument of government". This council consisted of six official members from the civil service, two nominated members appointed by the governor, and six unofficial members appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council. Of the unofficial members, three were Europeans, two were Asian, and one

10200-442: The kingdom eventually led to the loss of political relevance of the Wanga Kingdom. Another instance when Jomo Kenyatta , Kenya's first president initiated contact in the talk of decolonization, Nabongo Mumia described the talks as premature and did not support Jomo Kenyatta. Because Mumia was illiterate, he failed to realize the progress experienced in the kingdom was short lived and there was need to evolve. In later years, this cost

10320-526: The larger Wanga community had Islamic regalia and demeanour. Nabongo Mumia became a Muslim and died a Muslim. He was appointed heir on the eve of his father's death. Mumia occupied a prominent place in British colonial administration from 1908 to 1926 and was recognised as the Paramount Chief. He ruled the Kingdom for 67 years from 1882 to 1949 in one of the longest reigns in African history. The Wanga Kingdom

10440-587: The largest ethnic group in East Africa. They speak the Luo language , also known as Dholuo , which belongs to the Western Nilotic branch of the Nilotic language family . Dholuo shares considerable similarities with languages spoken by other Luo peoples . The Luo moved into western Kenya from Uganda between the 15th and 20th centuries in four waves. They were closely related to Luo peoples found in Uganda , especially

10560-611: The late Prof. David Peter Simon Wasawo , the first science professor in East and Central Africa and first black East African to study and lecture science courses at Makerere university; Thomas R. Odhiambo , prominent entomologist, founder of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) and the African Academy of Sciences , winner of the Albert Einstein Gold Medal (1991); Washington Yotto Ochieng , winner of

10680-402: The majority of Nilotic peoples . During the British colonial period, they were known as Nilotic Kavirondo . The exact location of origin of the Nilotic peoples is controversial but most ethnolinguists and historians place their origins between Bahr-el-Ghazal and Eastern Equatoria in South Sudan . They practiced a mixed economy of cattle pastoralism, fishing and seed cultivation. Some of

10800-620: The mid 20th century, they were all abandoned. Early British contact with the Luo was indirect and sporadic. Relations intensified only when the completion of the Uganda Railway had confirmed British intentions and largely removed the need for local alliances. In 1896, a punitive expedition was mounted in support of the Wanga ruler Mumia in Ugenya against the Kager clan led by Ochieng Ger III , otherwise known as Gero. Over 200 were quickly killed by

10920-457: The military wars against neighboring communities of Luo-Nyanza and Bukusu . This change of tact gave the Wanga Kingdom an upper hand in the military's invasion against insurgents but never solved the repeated threat of insurgents of the kingdom until the gazettement of administrative region of leadership which he was appointed paramount chief during the inquest of the British. The Anglo-Arab collaboration still did not alleviate military pressure of

11040-676: The originators of a number of popular music genres including benga and ohangla . Benga is one of Africa's most popular genres. The present day homeland of Kenyan and Tanzanian Luo lies in the eastern Lake Victoria basin - Nam Lolwe in the former Nyanza province in Western Kenya and the Mara region in northwestern Tanzania. This area falls within tropical latitudes and straddles the equator . This area also receives average rainfall levels. The average altitudes range between 3700 and 6000 feet above sea level. Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania form

11160-629: The penetration of Arabs into central Sudan as well as Nilotic adoption of Iron Age technology . The northern most group of Luo peoples - the Shilluk - advanced north along the White Nile in the 16th century, conquering territory as far as modern day Khartoum. They established the Shilluk Kingdom . In the 15th century, Luo peoples moved into the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom and established

11280-433: The publication of African Nationalist newspapers including Achieng Oneko 's vernacular newspaper Ramogi and Paul Ngei '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

11400-501: 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 that took root in South Nyanza. In 1913, Onyango Dunde of central Kavirondo proclaimed to have been sent by

11520-566: The reservation of the White Highlands for Europeans, especially British war veterans. Bitterness grew between the natives and the Europeans. Describing the period in 1925, the African–American historian and Pan-Africanist W. E. B. Du Bois wrote in an article which would be incorporated into the pivotal Harlem Renaissance text The New Negro , Here was a land largely untainted by

11640-409: The rock art present on Mfangano Island . Bantu speakers , early migrants from West Africa , 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

11760-461: The serpent goddes of Lake Victoria , 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

11880-505: 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 instead of stone as fencing material. By

12000-520: The ten thousand white owners for the lowest wage. Here was opportunity not simply for the great landholder and slave-driver but also for the small trader, and twenty-four thousand Indians came. These Indians claimed the rights of free subjects of the empire—a right to buy land, a right to exploit labor, a right to a voice in the government now confined to the handful of whites. Suddenly a great race conflict swept East Africa—orient and occident, white, brown and black, landlord, trader and landless serf. When

12120-487: The throne in lieu for Nabongo Mumia. This made Nabongo Mumia King by circumstance as opposed to the tradition of kingdom inheritance based on clan members who are in line of succession. The king then had a total of 13 wives and 18 sons who all had equal chances of becoming king. Nabongo Mumia married multiple wives. Polygamy was largely practised by the Wanga Kingdom to ensure stability with other communities through inter-marriage. The Arabs began dealing and had traded with

12240-476: The time Nabongo Mumia received a monthly salary of sh250 that amounts to US$ 7000 monthly pension (in 2020 dollars; inflation-adjusted). This was at a time when poverty levels were exacerbated , and his individual economic might was non-comparable to many in East Africa while supporting a huge polygamous family. Because Nabongo Mumia was illiterate, he failed to lead the kingdom in making changes and adapting to new political developments in regard to technicalities of

12360-494: The time the Wanga Kingdom extended from present day Jinja, Uganda to present day Naivasha , Kenya with the main ruling town present day Mumias . Nabongo Mumia's gazetement as a paramount chief in 1913 legitimized his rule as a king of the Wanga and paramount chief . In 1926, the British colonial government regazetted his region of management to North kavirondo equivalent to western region of Kenya today. This regazetement led to

12480-465: Was African. The Executive Council continued in existence with all the members of the Council of Ministers also being members of the Executive Council. In addition, the Executive Council also included one Arab and two appointed Africans. The full Executive council retained certain prerogatives, including approving death sentences and reviewing draft legislation. The Legislative Council in 1956 consisted of

12600-439: 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

12720-441: Was also used by government authorities against disobedient tribal chiefs, an example of this being the flogging of a Kikuyu chief by Colonel Algernon E. Capell after the latter was lied to by the former. Luo people Modern ethnicities Diaspora Performing arts Government agencies Television Radio Newspapers The Luo of Kenya and Tanzania are a Nilotic ethnic group native to western Kenya and

12840-490: 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 Town, the capital of Nyanza Province . 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 . The political marginalisation of Nyanza province worsened and continued under

12960-600: 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) . 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

13080-476: Was born into the abashitstes, one of the 22 clans that comprises the Wanga tribe. The abashitse is the clan that formed the royal lineage that produced the Nabongos (Wanga Kings). He grew up as an ordinary Wanga child participating in domestic animal herding, farming, hunting and gathering and his most notable achievement was killing a lion and leopard by the time he was 18 years old. His physique of being thin, having

13200-430: Was estimated at 2,376,000, of whom 9,651 were Europeans, 22,822 Indians and 10,102 Arabs . Mombasa , the largest city in 1921, had a population of 32,000 at that time. The Mau Mau rebellion , that was a revolt against British colonial rule in Kenya, lasted from 1952 to 1960. The rebellion was marked by war crimes and massacres committed by both sides. Caroline Elkins's 2005 book, Britain's Gulag , uncovered that

13320-569: Was found in northern Nyanza. Bantu speaking groups found in the Lake Victoria basin today include the Luhya , Suba , Kunta , Kuria and Kisii . Southern Nilotic speakers, the Nandi , 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

13440-508: Was invited to England , but he refused to travel to England under the advice of the Arabs who cautioned that he was likely to be captured. An action that was repeated by Jomo Kenyatta years later when he moved to England with similar concerns and fears, but eventually persuasively achieved diplomatic agreements that contributed in him being later the first president of Kenya at independence. Despite cognisance of his floundering influence and that of

13560-488: 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. Following the suppression of the Mau Mau uprising and containment of Kikuyu politicians, Luo anticolonial activists filled

13680-513: Was part of the British Empire in Africa from 1920 until 1963. It was established when the former East Africa Protectorate was transformed into a British Crown colony in 1920. Technically, the "Colony of Kenya" referred to the interior lands, while a 16 km (10 mi) coastal strip, nominally on lease from the Sultan of Zanzibar , was the "Protectorate of Kenya", but the two were controlled as

13800-528: Was publicised in disturbing detail, emphasising elements of betrayal and bestiality. As a result, the protest was mainly supported by the Kikuyu 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 . Barack Obama 's grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama ,

13920-538: Was stronger at the state 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

14040-499: Was the first to reduce Dholuo 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. It remains unclear whether Luo people westernised due to colonial pressure or they readily accepted aspects of western culture. However, by

14160-565: Was the most highly developed and centralised kingdom in Kenyan history before the advent of British colonialism. When the British arrived in Western Kenya in 1883, they found the Wanga Kingdom as the only organised state with a centralised hereditary monarch in the whole of what later came to be known as Kenya. Mumia had heard stories that the British colonial administration appointed colonial paramount chiefs in their quest to seek assistance in imposition of colonial rule. Nabongo Mumia used foresight and intelligence in initiating relations with

14280-450: Was the primary legal punishment for many crimes used in colonial Kenya, particularly against young offenders. Though the metropolitan Colonial Office was sceptical of the use of such punishments, its unease did little to hinder their application by local authorities. Prisons were eschewed by most judges, due to the belief that it would erode the morality of convicts and consign them to a positive feedback loop of criminality. Corporal punishment

14400-514: Was the vice chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change when it received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 with Al Gore . Barack Obama , the first black President of the United States of America and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was born to a Kenyan Luo father, Barack Obama Sr. Lupita Nyong'o became the first black African to win an Academy Award in 2014. The Luo are

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