ABSTRACT
Dholuo is the language of the Luo people. It is a Nilotic sub-branch of the Char-Nile family of languages. The first Luo migration to Kenya was probably from Sudan in the 16th century. The Luo are the third largest ethnic group in Kenya, behind the Kikuyu and the Luhya. Although the Kikuyu are currently in governmental control, the Luo along with the Kikuyu were the ethnic groups that inherited most of the power from the British when Kenya established independence in 1963. The Luo were one of the first ethnic groups to adopt the English language. It seems that at the end of the 19th century when the Luo chief Odera Akang'o helped the British fight against the Nandi by providing Luo porters, he became interested in British health practices, fashion, and education. As he encouraged his people to adopt British customs, he also encouraged them to learn English. The two national languages of Kenya are English and Kiswahili.
