Traditional practices among the Luo of Western Kenya.

Introduction.

The Luo tribe inhabits the Nyanza province of Western Kenya. The Luo are also referred to as
Jaluo of the Joluo. They are the third largest ethnic group with an estimation of 13% of the
population in Kenya. They are said to have migrated from Wau in southern Sudan to their
current territory via what is now known as eastern Uganda.

The Luo of Kenya are a nilotic group of people who migrated from Bahr-el- Ghazal in Southern
Sudan. They settled in the western part of Kenya in areas around Lake Victoria, further earning
them their description as the river lake nilotes a phrase that is still being used to describe them up
to date. They arrived into this part of East Africa from as early as the fifteenth century to the
nineteenth. Century, in four distinct groups. The first group to arrive in Kenya were the Joka Jok
in the fifteenth century and they settled at Ramogi hill, Sakwa , Asembo and Alego. 

The second group to arrive were the Joka Owiny who were led by Sigoma , and they came in the
Seventeenth century and settled around Kisumu, Nyakach , and South Nyanza.. Joka Owiny
were followed by Joka Omolo who came into Kenya from Busoga in Uganda in the eighteenth
century. Joka Omolo took there place in areas of Samia, Yimbo and South Nyanza joinig their
cousins who had arrived earlier on.

The final chunk of the Luo group to arrive were the Luo-Abasuba who arrived from Uganda in
the nineteenth century and they settled at Rusinga and Mfangano Islands in Lake Victoria and
they are a mixture of Bantus and Luos. 

The four groups that arrived and settled in different areas around Lake Victoria and despite the
disparity in their time of arrival they share similar cultural values.

Luo Culture, Lifestyle & Religion.

Luo people are among the few Kenyan tribes that do not traditionally circumcise their males as
an initiation to manhood. Instead, in Luo traditions, initiation involves the removal of six front
teeth - three each from the upper and lower jaws.

One dominant practice for the Luo is fishing given their close proximity to the Lake Victoria .
This makes fish their major staple food and ugali. This fish is used for both domestic
consumption and export especially the Nile Perch to export to Europe. For those who reside
outside the lake region, they work as tenant fishermen and urban workers. Agriculture, especially
sugarcane and cotton farming, is also practiced in other areas where Luos live.

Marriage is considered as a vital rite of passage among the Luo. Although most of the cultural
practices that were practiced by the Luo society have been eroded away, due to westernization
and the coming of Christianity, those that are considered not to be retrogressive or at loggerheads
with Christianity still remain in practice among this people up to now. One of those practices that
is still being observed among the community in some part of Luo - Nyanza “ The native Luo
land” is the marriage process .

Traditionally, a marriage ceremony was conducted in two phases, which involved the payment of
a bride price by the groom. The first phase is the Ayie involving a payment of money to the
mother of the bride; the second phase involving giving cattle to her father. Usually, these two
steps are carried out simultaneously, and as many modern day Luos are into Christianity, a
church ceremony then follows.

Another unique Luo custom is wife inheritance whereby, if a man dies, one of his brothers or
close relatives inherits his widow and must meet all of her marital requirements. Recently, it's
slowly dying away due to the fear of it spreading diseases

The Luo mourning ceremony, tero buru, is still widely practiced. This is a unique, elaborate and
dramatic ceremony that symbolizes the departure of a loved one. The Luo have very enriched
traditional dance costumes; skirts made from sisal and colored beads worn around the neck and
waist. Ladies usually use red and while clay to decorate them. All these costumes and ornaments
are made from local materials. Rich in musical instruments, the Luo still have traditional
instruments which vary from percussion, string, like nyatiti, a type of lyre; orutu a type of
fiddle), wind tung' a horn, and Asili a flute. Presently, the Luo are known for the benga music
style. It is a dynamic approach in which songs in Dholuo, Swahili, or English are sung alongside
a lively guitar riff.

While most Luos are now Christians, many still uphold most of their traditional cultural customs.
This is especially true for those living in the rural areas. The Luo traditionally believed in an
afterlife and a supreme creator, whom they called Nyasaye, and had a strong ancestor cult. Today
the vast majority of Kenya Luo are Christians, while a few are Muslim.

The first major ritual in a Luo person's life is called juogi, the naming ceremony. Any time
between birth and age two, an ancestor might appear in a dream to an adult member of the
family. It is generally believed that only people who did good things when alive appear in this
way and are thus "reincarnated". The child is supposed to assume some of the mannerisms of the
ancestor he or she is named after. If the ancestor was quiet, the child becomes a quiet person; if
talkative, the same. The so-named ancestor becomes the individual's "guardian angel" throughout
life. Children are rarely named after bad people. It is believed that after death, evil people are
permanently gone (sent to hell).

However, some of the Luo cultural practices now regarded as retrogressive are slowly fading
away, such as wife inheritance. As well, recent efforts have been made to promote male
circumcision among the Luo, Teso and Turkana people, to help curb the spread of HIV and
AIDS.

Perhaps one of the most interesting and noticeable attributes common among the elite, educated
or urban Luo people is their flamboyant character and sense of style, in addition to their polished
and eloquent command of the English language, otherwise known as The Queen's English.
Political History of the Luo.

Under British colonial rule, the Luo people did not have their land taken from them, unlike other
Kenyan tribes. However, through their political participation, Luos played a key role in the
attainment of Kenya's independence. Two prominent Luo politicians of that era were Ochieng
Aneko and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

At independence, Oginga Odinga, the prominent Luo leader, declined the presidency of Kenya,
preferring to assume the vice presidency with Jomo Kenyatta as the head of government. Their
administration represented the Kenya African National Union (KANU) party

In the late 1960s, former vice-president Jaramogi Odinga - the most influential Luo politician at
the time - had political differences with President Jomo Kenyatta. Jaramogi resigned from the
government and formed an opposition party - the Kenya People's Union. Since that time, the Luo
tribe have been Kenya's strongest voice in opposition politics.

The Odinga family is currently the most influential family in Luo politics, even after Jaramogi
Odinga's death in 1994. Raila Odinga, the second son of Jaramogi Odinga, is the prime minister
of Kenya under the current grand coalition government.

Many years of marginalization 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. Ravaged by AIDS and with little or no infrastructure, the Luo-populated
regions remained poor and undeveloped, despite the economic potential of nearby Lake Victoria.
Kenya continues to struggle with poverty and AIDS today
References

Mboya P (1997) Luo Kitgi gi Timbegi: A Handbook of Luo Customs. Kisumu: Anyange Press.

Kenya's ethnic communities foundation of the nation,

by Wangũhũ Ng'ang'a. Published 2006 by Gatũndũ Publishers in Nairobi, Kenya .

Agot KE, Vander Stoep A, Tracy M, Obare BA, Bukusi EA, et al. (2010) Widow Inheritance and
HIV Prevalence in Bondo District, Kenya: Baseline Results from a Prospective Cohort Study.
PLoS ONE 5(11): e14028. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0014028

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) (2010) Kenya Demographic and Health Survey
2008-09. Calverton, Maryland: KNBS and ICF Macro.

http://craw-forum.com/index.php/lifestyle/43-culture/51-courtship-and-marriage-among-the-luo-
of-kenya

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luo_people_of_Kenya_and_Tanzania