Luo peoples
Several related groups in central Africa
The Luo (also spelled Lwo) are several ethnically and linguistically related Nilotic ethnic groups that inhabit an area ranging from South Sudan and western Ethiopia, through Northern and Eastern Uganda and eastern Congo (DRC), into western Kenya, and the Mara Region of Tanzania. Their Luo languages belong to the western branch of the Nilotic language family.
The Luo groups in South Sudan include the Shilluk, Anuak, Pari, Acholi, Balanda Boor, Thuri and Luwo. Those in Uganda include the Alur, Acholi, Jonam and Padhola. The ones in Kenya and Tanzania are the Joluo (also called Luo in Kenyan English).
The Joluo and their language Dholuo are also known as the "Luo proper" by Kenya based observers, even though their dialect has more Bantu loan words than the rest.
The level of historical separation between these groups is estimated at eight centuries. Dispersion from an alleged Nilotic core region in South Sudan is presumed to have been triggered by the turmoil of the Muslim conquest of Sudan. The migration of individual groups over the last few centuries can to some extent be traced in the respective group's oral history.
Origins in Sudan
The Luo are part of the Nilotic group of people.
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Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q8886726. The Library of Congress control number is sh2004005565. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
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