Agewncy
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was on Thursday crowned as a Luo elder at the closure of the fourth edition of Piny Luo Festival in Siaya County, Kenya.
At the regional annual cultural ceremony held at the Got Ramogi Hill shrines, Museveni was crowned alongside his host, Kenya’s President William Ruto, and former Kenyan Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga.
At the crowning ceremony performed by the Ker (cultural leader) of Luo, Odungi Randa, the two Presidents and Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga were handed a traditional seat of the ruler, the crown of leadership, a traditional cloth of an elder, a shield alongside a spear for protection, and a whisk for wishing peace to the people.
Later, the three newly crowned elders and other participants, who included the governor of Siaya County, James Orengo, were taken on a tour of Jaramogi Oginga Mausoleum and the four Luo traditional huts, representing the four sons of Luo.
In his remarks, President Museveni expressed gratitude to the Luo for recognising him for the 4th time, having been recognised before by the Luo in Uganda, who included the Alur, the Acholi and the Lango.
President Museveni adds that the Piny Luo festival that embodies the spirit of unity among East Africans by celebrating their shared heritage, culture, and traditions should also lead to the East African Federation if East Africans are to achieve prosperity in the region.
On his part, President Ruto expressed his appreciation to President Museveni for gracing the closure of the Piny Luo festival at short notice.
In honour of the event and in the presence of President Museveni, H.E. Ruto announced the official opening of the Lamogi campus of Nyang’oma Technical Training College which is to immediately admit students beginning this January.
The three-day event that kicked off on December 31st, 2024, under the theme “Celebrating the Roots of Our Culture and Heritage”, focused on promoting unity, peace, and reconciliation among various Luo communities across the region.
The cultural pilgrimage attracted different groups of Luo luminaries across Africa, such as Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, the Central African Republic, and other nations, led by their respective “Kers” (cultural leaders). The Ugandan groups included the Alur, Acholi, Padhola, and Jo Nam, while others included the Alur of the DRC.
Luos are said to have settled in Got Ramogi as they migrated from Sudan. The hill has occupied a special place in the history of the Luo and is considered the spot where the Luo first settled during their migration before occupying various parts of what is present-day Luo Nyanza.
