The Luos are an ethnic group residing primarily in the western region of Kenya, particularly around Lake Victoria.
However, they are also present in Congo, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Sudan. They are part of the larger Nilotic ethnic group and have a rich cultural heritage.
Here’s a brief overview of the Luo community.
Origin of The Luo People
Originally from Sudan, the Luo are a Nilotic – ‘Dholuo’ speaking group. They are mostly settled in the Lake Victoria region, with some also present in countries like Congo, Ethiopia, and Uganda.
History of The Luo People
The Luo migrated to Kenya, Nyanza Region, in four groups from the East of Uganda. The Joka-jok was the first major group to arrive from Acholiland to Kenya.
The second cluster came from Alur while the third and fourth came from Padhola(the Owiny) and Pawir(Jok’omolo) respectively.
Presently, there are twelve Luo clans found in Kenya, and consist of:
Jo-Kano
Jo-Asembo
Jo-Uyoma
Jo-Karachuonyo
Jo-Kabundo
Jo-Alego
Jo-Gem (Gum)
Jo-Ugenya
Jo-Seme
Jo-Nnyakach
Jo-Kisumo
Jo-Sakwa
Jo-Kajulu
Colonial Feuds
A resistance was formed during the completion of the Kenya-Uganda railway after the Luo discovered the intentions of the British colony.
A punitive expedition escalated in support of the Wanga ruler Mumia in Ugenya against the Kager clan led by Ochieng Ger.
Those who cooperated with the British fought with the resistance, who were in turn killed in large numbers.
Luo spiritual leaders were forced to come in and propose solutions following sporadic clashes.
It was then decided that the Luo community form an alliance and cooperate with the British.
The British infiltrated the Luo land and established regional headquarters at Mumias and later in Kisumu.
Porters given by the then chief were provided and they worked to submit the Luo to colonial control and administration. Soon, traditional leaders and political structures were replaced by colonial chiefs.
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Symbolism of The Luo People
Apart from their ‘Dhuluo,’ the Luo are great musicians. They have unique traditional instruments such as the Nyatiti, Abu, and the Fiddle. Every instrument is used in a skillful way to produce music.
The Nyatiti
This is an eight-stringed musical instrument. It is an extracted bowl yoke lute, played to entertain people during particular functions in the community.
The Abu
This particular instrument was traditionally made and blown by men to produce deep loud sounds during important ceremonies.
It is made with several gourds stuck together by beeswax and joined with the bark of the Grewia tree locally known to them as ‘powo’.
Fly whisk
Made from an animal’s tail and fitted with a wooden handle, the fly whisk is a unique traditional tool of symbolism.
It was used by women while performing traditional songs and dances. Most importantly, it was used by diviners to send off bad spirits and in other instances, bless people.
The Fiddle
Specifically played by men, the Fiddle produces melodic sounds apt in ceremonies. It is made from leather skin fitted and tied on a tin with a wire.
Food and Economic Activities of The Luo People
The Lake Victoria basin people were mostly fishermen and practiced little agriculture.
They were originally pastoralists, but were prompted to do fishing and grow crops after settling at Lake Victoria.
Fishing traps were made from ‘Modhno,’ a special type of grass found abundantly in the region.
Today, the Luo have assumed agriculture to supplement their food and also because the Lake region has good fertile soils and adequate rainfall.
They also hunted for food, skin, and horns. Birds were killed for their feathers which were used for decoration, horns were used to make musical instruments, and the skins made clothes and cover for their drums.
Initiation of The Luo People
Removing six front teeth from the lower jaw was a form of initiation to the Luo community. It was significant in that it measured the courage and endurance of both men and women.
More so, the gap left by the removal of the teeth was used to administer medicine in case of a disease such as Lockjaw (Tetanus Disease).
Governance System of The Luo People
The Luo people had a segmentary lineage system; that is, shared values held them together.
They had no chiefs and were not organized around a particular office. A family was the smallest organizational segment with common values and generally stood together.
Men were in control and they would make rules to govern the family among the Luo community. a family was headed by the father or the first wife or son in the absence of the father.
A traced relation that formed a clan (anyuola) was linked by blood. Heads of the different families came together to become a people of the same descendants called Jokang’ato which in turn forms clans that are villages called Gweng. An elder titled Dodo or Jaduong’ gweng headed the village
A sub-tribe was then formed when the many villages came together; it was then headed or ruled by a hereditary chieftaincy who was the eldest son (Ruoth).
The strongest government is therefore formed. The Ruoth had two councils of elders, Jadong gweng’ or Jodongo and Galamoro.
The Luo defense and security was headed by a sub-tribe level commander, Osumba Mrwayi who was a member of the council of elders.
The Ruoth presided over religious and cultural ceremonies, and market meetings, among others. However, a spokesman was used to talk on behalf of the Ruoth during these events.
During wars, calamities, and natural disasters, the sub-tribes came together to help each other.
The name Sumo was the act of sharing when people were struck by natural disasters. The name is Kisumu came to be since ‘kisumo’ was a renowned marketplace where those who were struck by famine would be taken and fed by their Luo relations.
Gender roles
Among the Luo, women did most of the domestic chores like cooking, taking care of the children, and teaching them their traditions and ‘Dholuo’.
They also till and planted basic staple crops in the fields. Men were responsible for planting cash crops.
Wives keep separate houses within the circular homesteads of the larger polygynous families; they farm separate fields and maintain separate granaries, but their husbands are normally considered the heads of the homesteads.
Farm work is assigned according to gender: women shoulder the time-consuming task of caring for the basic staple crops, whereas men are responsible for the cash crops—and generally do less of the farm work.
Marriage and Family
Like many African communities, the Luo marriage was done in phases. A man would identify a woman he wanted to marry and then he would send a few men from his clan to the girl’s home where they would present his interest.
The bride’s side of the family would investigate whether there was any blood relation or ancestral connection between the families.
Other factors like the family's reputation and if they are in any way involved in sorcery or witchcraft, are also investigated.
Diseases like epilepsy, leprosy, and sleeping sickness were considered hereditary and were reason enough to stop a marriage.
The first portion of the bride price ‘Angea’ which was mainly money was given to the mother of the girl together with other gifts. Both families would then indulge in a feast that the bride’s mother prepares.
The actual bride price involved the groom presenting an agreed number of cattle. The girl is then abducted either when she is fetching water or at the market.
This was a symbol of status, and everyone would now know that the girl was taken. The Luo prohibited the marriage of a woman and a man from the same clan.
Kinship in The Luo Community
The Luo community's basic social relationships are organized around the principle of patrifocality that cements the relationships between fathers, mothers, and their children. This unit is known as Jokawuoro.
The Jokamiyo is a unit that combines a mother, her sons, and unmarried daughters as an independent set of people.
Religion and Beliefs
The Luo believed in ‘Nyasae’ (God the creator). Different physical features were used as shrines and sacred places.
For one, Lake Victoria was associated with supernatural powers. In other places, hills, trees, and rocks were also used as prayer places.
Furthermore, the Luo firmly believed in witchcraft and medicine men in their community. Cobra bones, for one, were believed to have a healing effect. The bones were burnt to ashes and rubbed into the wound to relieve pain.
Before the twentieth century, the Luo believed in ancestral spirits. The ancestors’ spirits were worshipped, and, therefore, played a role in the traditional region of the Luo.
However, they were influenced by British, American, and other Catholic, Protestant, and African Christian Churches after a while.
Widow
The Luo are known for their practice of wife inheritance. A widow is inherited by the deceased brother to offer her basic needs and to take care of her and the children financially and to provide security.
To them, it was also a way of continuing life in the home of the deceased.
It was a process where while the elders were making burial plans, they would also deliberate on who was to inherit the widow.
After making a final decision, the brother inheriting the deceased wife hangs a coat on the widow’s house.
This symbolizes that a new man is now present in the home, and will send a strong message to male visitors with intentions of inheriting the widow.
Factors such as the wealth of the deceased and the age of the widow were considered. The wife had no say in the inheritance. Before the inheritance, she was to ‘seek permission from her husband’ by sleeping with the corpse for a night.
The widow must have a certain dream to allow the inheritance process to continue. After that, the cleansing of the widow is done.
She is considered unclean and a ritual must be carried out to cleanse her. She is required to have sex with a man known as ‘jater’ after which she would be presumed clean and ready to be inherited.
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Death and the Afterlife
Among the Luo, the dead were believed to be spirits or the living dead, and they had a huge influence on the living. During calamities, they believed it was the sad evil spirits, so they would be appeased to stop their wrath.
How the dead were buried determined how they would be in the spirit world. A decent send-off is given, and all the mourning rites are done to prepare them to be good ancestors.
They sang, danced, and slaughtered animals during burial to appease the dead.
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