adhula Traditional Luo hockey game
agoro Luo victory song chanted after battle
ajua Popular Luo game played with small pebbles on a board with two rows of eight holes
ajuoga Luo expert in dispensing medicine and magic
Albert, Lake One of the African Great Lakes and part of the complex river system of the Upper Nile
arungu Luo war club
asere Luo arrow
askari A locally recruited East African soldier; the word is also used to denote anybody in uniform, such as a policeman
as-Sudd See Sudd
baba Swahili word meaning “father”
Bahr al-Ghazāl Arabic name for the River of Gazelles in southern Sudan
Bahr al-Jabal Arabic name for the White Nile
Bantu Collection of more than four hundred ethnic groups in Africa who share a language group and a broad ancestral culture
BEA British East Africa
Berlin Conference The conference that established European spheres of influence in Africa, which ran from November 15, 1884, to February 26, 1885
bhang Swahili word for marijuana
bilharzia Disease transmitted by a parasitic fluke caught from a water snail, which can cause damage to internal organs and impair a child’s growth
British East Africa Company (BEAC) Predecessor to the Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC), a chartered company formed in 1888
bware Plant used in traditional Luo medicine
chang’aa Traditional Kenyan home brew, now often supplemented with industrial alcohol to make a dangerously strong drink
chiwo Present or payment given to a traditional Luo diviner
chola A state of purdah by the wives of a deceased man, which can last several months before they are “inherited”
contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) Also known as lung plague, a contagious bacterial infection that affects cattle, buffalo, and zebu, and which devastated herds in Kenya in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
crocuta Dholuo name for the spotted hyena
Deutsch-Ostafrika German East Africa before the First World War, consisting of present-day Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi
Deutsche Ost-Afrika Gesellschaft The German East Africa Company, founded by Karl Peters and his colleagues in 1885
Dholuo The traditional Luo language
dhow Arab sailboat
diero Part of a traditional Luo wedding celebration
Dunga Beach Fishing village on the shore of Winam Gulf, close to Kisumu
duol Small hut of the head of a Luo family
East Africa Protectorate See Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC)
Elgon, Mount Dormant volcano on the border of Kenya and Uganda; at 14,173 feet, it is the second-highest mountain in Kenya
Euphorbia candelabrum Spiky succulent that is traditionally found in many Luo homesteads
Fort Jesus Large defensive stronghold built by the Portuguese in Mombasa in 1593 to protect the harbor
gagi Literally “casting pebbles,” a technique using small stones or cowry shells to tell the future
Gangu Region in western Kenya, first settled by the Luo at the beginning of the sixteenth century; pronounced “Gang”
Genda Site of the first Seventh-Day Adventist mission in Kendu Bay, established in 1907
Gesellschaft für Deutsche Kolonisation See Peters, Karl in Glossary of People
golo nyathi Literally “removing the baby”; when a four-day old baby is introduced to the world by leaving it outside the mother’s hut
Got Ager Traditional hill fortress of the Luo leader Ager, believed to have been inhabited during the mid-seventeenth century
Got Ramogi Traditional hill fortress of the Luo leader, Ramogi, believed to have been inhabited from the early sixteenth century
gundni bur Ancient Luo fortified communities
Homa Bay Fishing village on the south side of Winam Gulf, about twelve miles west of Kendu Bay
Imatong Mountains A mountain range on the border between Sudan and Uganda
Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC) Formed in 1888 as a commercial association to develop African trade in the areas controlled by the British; as the administrative body of British East Africa, it was the forerunner of the East Africa Protectorate, later to become Kenya
jachien Luo demonic spirit
jadak Dholuo name for a foreigner or outsider
jagam A “pathfinder” or marriage maker
jago Luo subchief
janak Luo elder who traditionally removes teeth during an initiation ceremony; see nak
jodong Part of a traditional Luo wedding celebration
jojuogi Luo witch, sorcerer, or magician
Joka-Jok The first wave of Luo migrants who entered western Kenya between 1530 and 1680
jo-kal Luo chief’s enclosure
Jok’Omolo A third wave of Luo migrants who entered Kenya in the late seventeenth century
Jok’Owiny Luo followers of Owiny, who formed a second wave of migrants who arrived in western Kenya in the early seventeenth century
Juba City in southern Sudan, situated on the banks of the White Nile
Kajulu Sprawling rural village north of Kisumu
kal Brown finger-millet flour; see also mbare
Kalenjin Ethnic group of Nilotic people living mainly in the Kenyan Rift Valley; the fourth-largest tribal group in Kenya
kalo nyathi First lovemaking between a father and mother after the birth of a child, usually on the fourth day; literally “jumping over the child”
Kamba A Bantu ethnic group who live in the semi-arid Eastern province of Kenya; they were renowned as middlemen and traders
Kampala Capital of Uganda
kanga Famine in Luoland in 1919; also used to refer to the Administration Police in Kenya
KAR See King’s African Rifles
Kavirondo Gulf Early name for the Winam Gulf
Kavirondo region Early name given to Nyanza by the colonial British
Kendu Bay Small town on the southern shore of Winam Gulf; home to the majority of the Obama family
Kenya Country in East Africa previously under the colonial rule of the British; achieved independence on December 12, 1963
Kenya, Mount The highest mountain in Kenya; called Kirinyaga by the Kikuyu and Kirenia by the Embu
Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU) Formed in 1960 to defend the interests of the Kalenjin, Maasai, Samburu, and Turkana against the dominance of the larger Luo and Kikuyu tribes who dominated KANU; in 1964, KADU dissolved itself voluntarily and merged with KANU
Kenya African National Union (KANU) In 1960, KAU merged with the Kenya Independent Movement and the People’s Congress Party to form KANU; after 1969, KANU, led by Kenyatta, remained the only political party in Kenya until 2002
Kenya African Union (KAU) Originally called the Kenya African Study Union, the KAU was a political organization formed in 1944 to articulate grievances against British colonial rule; in 1946, Kenyatta returned to Kenya and became its unrivalled leader (see also Kenya African National Union)
Kenya People’s Union (KPU) A small but influential socialist party formed in 1966 by the Luo politician Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, a former vice president; the Union was banned by Kenyatta in 1969
ker Luo king
Kibera Shantytown west of Nairobi and home to an estimated one million people, making it Africa’s largest slum
Kikuyu Kenya’s most populous ethnic group, comprising approximately 22 percent of the population
Kikuyu Central Association (KCA) Political organization formed in 1924–25 (after the Young Kikuyu Association was banned in 1922) to represent the interests of the Kikuyu people against British colonial rule; the KCA was banned by the British in 1940 with the outbreak of war in East Africa
Kilimanjaro, Mount Volcanic mountain in Tanzania, at 15,092 feet the highest in East Africa; in 1848 Johann Rebmann became the first European to identify it
King’s African Rifles A British multi-battalion colonial regiment that operated in East Africa from 1902 until independence in 1963
kipande Small steel cylinder containing identity papers, which every African laborer had to wear and without which he could not find employment; taken from the Swahili word meaning “a piece” or “a part of something”
kiru A traditional hut made from branches and leaves
Kisii A major town in central south Nyanza; also a name for the Kisii people or Kisii tribe
Kismayo City on the Indian Ocean (now in southern Somalia), used as a detention camp by the colonial British
Kisumu Kenya’s third-largest city and capital of the Nyanza province; a port on the shores of Winam Gulf; founded in 1901 when the Uganda Railway reached Lake Victoria, and originally called Port Florence
Kiswahili The Swahili word for the Swahili language, also sometimes used in English
Kitara Ancient kingdom in Uganda that plays an important role in the oral tradition of the great lakes region of East Africa; it was at the height of its power in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, until invaded by the Luo
K’obama Village in Kendu Bay and home to the majority of the Obama family
K’ogelo Village in Siaya district in central Nyanza, which is home to “Mama” Sarah Obama and the burial site of Onyango Obama and Barack Obama senior; its full name is Nyang’oma K’ogelo
kuon Dholuo word for ugali
kuot Large, strong Luo shield made from layers of buffalo skin
kwer Traditional shaving of the head at a funeral as a mark of respect
Kyoga, Lake Large, shallow lake in eastern Uganda that was on the migration route of the Luo from Sudan to Kenya
Lari Small town in Central province about eighteen miles north of Nairobi; in March 1953 it was the location of one of the worst atrocities of the Mau Mau emergency
lielo fwada First shaving of a baby, usually several weeks after birth
loko ot Literally “changing hut,” when the huts of a deceased man are destroyed and new ones built in their place
Luhya Bantu ethnic group in Kenya (and also Uganda and Tanzania); they form the second-largest tribe in Kenya, comprising 14 percent of the population
Lunatic Line Nickname given to the Uganda Railway
Luo Nilotic ethnic group in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda; the third-largest tribe in Kenya, comprising 13 percent of the population; has a reputation for supplying many academics and doctors in Kenya, as well as radical politicians; also the tribe of the Obama family
lwak Traditional name given to ordinary Luo subjects
Lwoo Archaic name for the Luo
Maasai Seminomadic tribe from central Kenya and northern Tanzania, renowned for their distinctive dress and warrior tradition; also spelled Masai
Madi Tribal group that lived around Pubungu before the Luo arrived in the fifteenth century
magenga Large fire lit at a traditional Luo funeral
majimbo Swahili name meaning “group of regions” or regional governments; a system designed to minimize the problem of tribalism in Kenya
Maseno school Prestigious boys’ boarding school near Kisumu, opened in 1906 and the alma mater of Barack Obama senior
matatu Kenyan minibuses that provide most of the public transport in the country; they have a reputation for being driven dangerously
Mau Mau Violent uprising by Kenyan farmers (mainly Kikuyu) against the British colonialists from 1952 to 1960; known as the Kenya Emergency in British official documents
mbare Traditional Luo beer made from brown finger millet flour (kal)
mbofwa Wooden board used in divining
modhno A type of grass used in a traditional blessing of a new Luo home
Mombasa Kenya’s second city and a major port on the Indian Ocean, originally called Kisiwa M’vita, meaning “island of war”
Muhimu Group of Nairobi-based urban militants who were active in the early 1950s, predating Mau Mau
Mumbo cult, Mumboism Religious cult in western Kenya in the early twentieth century, based on the teaching that a giant serpent lived in Lake Victoria; the cult rejected European customs and advocated a return to traditional ways
Mumias A town in central Nyanza that was a headquarters for the British colonial administration
muruich A piece of sharpened corn husk traditionally used to cut the umbilical cord of a newborn infant
mzungu Swahili name for a white man; pl. wazungu
Naath Another name for the Nuer
Nairobi Capital of Kenya, which takes its name from the Maasai name En Kare Nyrobi, meaning “the place of cool waters”
Naivasha Kenyan town in the Rift Valley about sixty miles north of Nairobi
Naivasha, Lake Large lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley
nak Traditional Luo ceremony to remove teeth; see also janak
Nam Lolwe The Dholuo name for Lake Victoria
Nandi Pastoralists of the Rift Valley and a subgroup of the Kalenjin who organized strong resistance against the construction of the Uganda Railway in the early 1900s
nduru High-pitched howling cry at a Luo funeral
North Ugenya Region in western Kenya through which the early Luo are believed to have migrated
nyalolwe Dholuo name for sleeping sickness
Nyang’oma K’ogelo See K’ogelo
Nyanza province Administrative region in western Kenya on the shores of Lake Victoria, predominantly inhabited by the Luo; one of seven provinces in Kenya outside of Nairobi; nyanza is the Bantu word for a large body of water
Nyasaye Traditional god of the Luo
nyatiti Eight-stringed wooden lyre
ohangla Traditional drum made from the skin of a monitor lizard
okumba Luo shield
olengo Luo village wrestling match
oluwo aora Dholuo for “the people who follow the river”
omieri A large python believed to possess spiritual powers
omo wer The night of consummation of a marriage
ondiek Duluo for “hyena,” but also used colloquially to describe a new mother who eats well
ong’ong’a famine Widespread famine in Luoland in 1889
oporo Horn from a bull or a buffalo, which gives a low-pitched booming sound; used to sound an attack
orkoiyot Spiritual leader of the Nandi tribe
orundu Traditional Luo kitchen garden
oseke Large communal pot from which elders sip with a long wooden straw
otia The best-quality traditional Luo beer, brewed from sorghum flour
Pakwach See Pubungu
panga Broad-bladed machete
Port Florence Early name given to the town on the shores of Lake Victoria now called Kisumu; named after Florence Preston, wife of the Uganda Railway’s chief foreman plate layer Ronald Preston
powo Tree with a very smooth surface used as a door post in a traditional Luo house
Pubungu A large military encampment established by the Luo in the mid-fifteenth century, located near Pakwach in Uganda
Rift Valley A large geographical feature running north-south through Kenya; the Rift Valley province is one of Kenya’s seven administrative provinces outside of Nairobi
rinderpest Also known as cattle plague, a contagious viral infection that affects cattle, buffalo, and some wildlife and that devastated large numbers of animals in Kenya during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
River-Lake Nilotes Ethnic group from southern Sudan; a breakaway group migrated to Kenya and became known as the Luo
ruoth Luo chief
Seventh-Day Adventists Often known as the Adventists or the SDAs; a Christian denomination that observes Saturday as the Sabbath and established a mission in Kendu Bay in 1904
Shilluk Third-largest Nilotic tribe in southern Sudan
Siaya district One of twelve administrative districts that make up the Nyanza province of western Kenya
simba Traditional Luo hut of a young man, located inside his father’s compound
Simbi Kolonde Small village near Kendu bay and birthplace of Akumu, paternal grandmother of President Obama
simsim Arabic word for sesame
singo Form of traditional Luo barter
siwindhe Traditional Luo hut of a grandmother
slug map An ambitious but ultimately misleading representation of East Africa by Johannes Rebmann, which shows a single huge lake in the center of Kenya; dated c. 1855
smallpox Infectious viral disease that results in a rash and blisters on the body, with a 30 percent mortality rate unless treated
south Nyanza The part of Nyanza province that lies to the south of Winam Gulf
southern Sudan The mainly Christian region in the south of Sudan that experienced a protracted conflict from 1983 to 2005 between the Muslim government forces in the north and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army in the south
spear-and-bead story Mythical story about a conflict between two brothers over the loss of a spear and a bead; the story is retold by a large number of East African ethnic groups, including the Luo
Sudd Vast swamp in southern Sudan formed by the flooding of the White Nile; the name comes from the Arabic word sadd, which means “block” or “barrier”
Swahili Comes from the Arabic sawīhilī, meaning “of the coast”; a Bantu language widely used throughout East Africa (see also Kiswahili)
Tanganyika East African territory lying between the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria; originally called Deutsch-Ostafrika or German East Africa before the First World War, and then known as Tanganyika under British colonial rule; see also Tanzania
Tanzania A republic consisting of twenty-six mikoa or regions; it became independent from British rule in 1961, and when the country merged with Zanzibar in 1964, the new nation took the name Tanzania
tero buru Literally “taking the dust”; a traditional Luo funeral ceremony to scare away the dead spirits
Thika A small town northeast of Nairobi, on the route upcountry toward the popular farming land around the foothills of Mount Kenya
thimlich Dholuo word meaning “frightening dense forest”
Thimlich Ohinga Fortified Luo settlement in south Nyanza dating from before the 1700s
tipo The invisible part or “shadow” of a person, which when combined with the visible part creates life
tong’ ker A royal spear
Tororo Town in eastern Uganda that was an important staging post during the Luo migration in the fifteenth century
tung’ A small sheep’s horn that makes a high-pitched wailing sound audible over a long distance
trypanosomiasis Sleeping sickness
ugali The Swahili name for a dough made from hot water and maize; a staple food in East Africa
Uganda A landlocked former British colony in central Africa that takes its name from the ancient kingdom of Buganda; it became independent of British rule in October 1962
Uganda Railway The railway system that links Mombasa on the Indian Ocean with the interior; the railway was completed in 1901 when it reached Port Florence (now called Kisumu), but it was subsequently extended between 1913 and 1964
ujamaa A dogmatic and inflexible form of socialism in Tanzania introduced by Julius Nyerere
University of Hawaii Alma mater of Barack Obama senior, where he studied economics between 1959 and 1962
uyoma Luo witch doctor or shaman
Victoria, Lake The second-largest freshwater lake in the world, bordered by Uganda to the west and Kenya and Tanzania to the east
Wanandi Early name for the Nandi people
wazungu See mzungu
western Nilotes See River-Lake Nilotes
White Nile One of two main tributaries of the river Nile (the other being the Blue Nile); the White Nile has its source in the mountains of Burundi and is more than 2,300 miles long
Winam Gulf A large enclosed bay in the northeastern corner of Lake Victoria, formerly known as the Kavirondo Gulf
Young Kavirondo Association Political organization formed by the Luo in 1921 to represent their grievances against what they considered to be unjust British colonial rule; it later became known as the Kavirondo Taxpayers’ Welfare Association, with a greatly reduced influence
yweyo liel Literally the “cleansing of the grave,” when the family compound is cleaned after the death of the husband
Zanzibar An island off the east coast of Africa, originally under British control from around 1890; now a semiautonomous region of the United Republic of Tanzania