The people of Kenya are comprised of 42 ethnic groups or tribes, each with its own unique values, skills, language and cultural practices. The luo tribe is the third largest community in Kenya and makes up close to 13% of the entire population.
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.
All Luos Throw Stones
This misconception mostly came up because of Luos being fan(atic)s of Gor Mahia Football Club, especially after a loss to the their shemijis AFC Leopard! I have to confess that this is a misconception believed by a childhood memory and incident involving throwing stones. Come to think of it, hasn’t Governor Ferdinand Waititu and his then-Embakasi constituents, caught on camera hurling stones at some people who had offended their sensibilities?
Ujaluo Itaniuwa
I have never quite understood this one but it is Kiswahili (or Swahili) for the expression “Being Luo will kill me.” It was explained to me as “affirmation of the ‘swag’ or confidence Luos have regardless of their circumstances” to which I responded “Sure, if you say so.”
All Luos Eat Fish
This misconception speaks to the fact that Luoland is home to the 2nd largest fresh water lake in the world – Lake Victoria. Said lake is a source of fish – tilapia, Nile Perch, Omena and an assortment of other piscis or as Patrick “PLO” Lumumba would say, icthyes, Latin and Greek for fish respectively.
The recent advent of fish farming in parts of Kenya beyond Luoland has thrown this misconception into a tizzy as industrious and ever-entrepreneurial Kenyans of all persuasions discover that rech ngege or mbuta are excellent source of proteins not to mention yet another way to earn a living.
Luos Are Lazy
This misconception speaks to the dilapidated and decrepit conditions of Kisumu, the main city of Nyanza and of Kibera, arguably Africa’s largest shantytown. Both locales are predominated by Luos and arguably unkempt and unkept supposedly because the inhabitants, Luos, are too lazy to take care of their communities!
On the other hand, were one to delve into the details surrounding the misconception regarding the “lethality“ of Nyeri women they would discover that part of the reason the Women of Nyeri are prone to slice and dice their menfolk – pun unintended – is because of their alleged laziness and inability to take care of business – in more ways than one.
I could get into the political reasons why Kisumu and Nyanza have been late to develop their economies but that would be obfuscation and outside the scope of this list!
Luos Believe in “Tunaomba Serikali”
This is an interesting misconception that adds to the narrative that “Luos are lazy” and given the recent budget and other efforts (by Kenya’s government) to help ALL Kenyans, reminds me of the Red State/Blue State debate on welfare here in the US.