Luo people

Luo
Total population
7 million Kenya and Tanzania
Regions with significant populations
Western Kenya, northern and eastern Uganda, northern Tanzania
Languages
Luo, Swahili, and English
Religion
Christianity, African Traditional Religion, Islam
Related ethnic groups
Other Luo peoples, other Nilotic peoples

The Luo (also called Joluo or Jonagi/Onagi, singular Jaluo, Jaonagi or Joramogi/Nyikwaramogi, meaning "Ramogi's heirs") are an ethnic group in western Kenya, northern Uganda, and the Mara Region in northern Tanzania. They are part of a larger group of the linguistic Luo peoples who inhabit an area ranging from South Sudan, South-Western Ethiopia, Northern and Eastern Uganda, South-Western Kenya and North-Eastern Tanzania.

The Luo are the fourth largest ethnic group (15%) in Kenya, after the Kikuyu (22%), the Kalenjin (18%) and the Luhya (16%). The Luo and the Kikuyu inherited most of political power in the first years after Kenya's independence in 1963. The nummber of Luo in Kenya was estimated to be 2,185,000 in 1994 and 3.4 million in 2010 during to government census.

They are mostly fishermen, with some farmers, but durng the colonial era, they had a mixed economy in which livestock and farm products were used for economic and divine activities. They migrated from Bahr-El-Ghazal a sub-tributary of the Nile, and first settled at Pukungu Pakwach in Uganda and later dispersed to Kisumu in Kenya and Tanzania near Lake Victoria.

Their 'state' leaders who lead groups of related clans are called Ruoth, meaning "Chief", and their national leaders are now called Jodongo - Luo Council of Elders and are led by a Ker, meaning "King".[1] They now are members of Christianity, traditional African religions and Islam.

Their god was called Nyasaye, who used to stay at Ramogi Hills. Their initiation used to be done on teenaged boys who woild get their six lower teeth removed and then would be regarded as men. They now have syopped that practice and have copied the Kikuyu and circumsising the foreskin.

Notable people

  1. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga one of Kenya's founding fathers
  2. Barrack Obama former President of The U.S
  3. Lupita Nyong'o Award winning actor in the Oscars
  4. Raila Odinga former Prime Minister of Kenya
  5. Raymond Omollo Archived 2024-08-17 at the Wayback Machine Permanent Secretary (PS) Interior
  6. Tito Okello former Uganda President
  7. Elijah Omolo Agar one of Kenya's founding fathers

References

  1. ↑ "Ker Odungi Randa coronated as Luo Council of Elders Chairman". https://www.the-star.co.ke/. 22nd December 2023. Retrieved 8th August 2024. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= and |date= (help); External link in |website= (help)
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