All systems go as Siaya set to host fourth 'Piny Luo' festival this year

It is a festival tipped to be climax of festivities and usher in the New Year in style. Preparations for the annual Piny Luo festival, meant to create awareness about local culture and promote tourism, are in top gear.

And with it, a colourful and powerful cast of attendees including Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni have been lined up to attend the December 31st to January 2 fiesta.

Activities lined up for the festival include showcasing traditional attires, foods, dances and folklore. There will also be traditional prayers, paying tribute to the ancestors whose values and unity helped shape the Luo identity.

The two-day event is designed to celebrate the beauty and allure of the four Luo-Nyanza counties, but also the profound significance of Siaya County in Luo history.

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 Luo. It is a revered place — considered the spot where the Luo first settled during their migration from Uganda before occupying various parts of what is present day Luo Nyanza.

To some it may just be a hill but to the Luo, it is a point of unification where they can come together in celebration of their community’s uniqueness. The name Ramogi is not only equated to the hill as a physical feature – it is the name of the forefather of the Luo people who was a warrior with magical powers to boot.

For the first time, Luos from will pay pilgrimage to Ramogi Hill in Yimbo East, the northeastern shores of Lake Victoria basin.

County Executive for Tourism Angeline Oduor said the festival will offer the county a chance to showcase its immense tourism tapestry.

She said the festival will not only serve as a platform to preserve and celebrate traditional customs, but also play a pivotal role in boosting tourism. “The festival will also act as a potential driver of revenue, contributing substantially to the county’s economic growth,” said Oduor.

Under the theme “Celebrating the Roots of Our Culture and Heritage”, the two-day event will culminate in the opening of Siaya County Stadium on January 2, 2025, in a ceremony to be attended by President William Ruto, President Museveni and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga among other dignitaries.

Kisumu Deputy Governor Mathews Owili, the festival’s organising committee leader, expressed confidence that the festival will be successful.

Cheers and jeers are already building up for the festival last held in Homa Bay County last year. While others see it as a significant event for the Luo community, a section of elders cry foul over its organisation, saying they have been sidelined.

Yesterday, Mzee Thomas Achando and Odida Buoga told The Standard that it is more of a political event.

“Last year, the main agenda of the event was to elect the new Luo Council of Elder chairman,” said Buoga, adding he has not been invited as an elder. Buoga, who argued that such events should be used as a platform to educate and inform the younger generations of the Luo values, said the community’s culture has been eroded.

Mzee Achando argued that the significance of the festival has been lost. “This is an ODM party affair and nothing to celebrate our culture as a community,” he said Achando, adding that the organisers should have sought people’s views.

Owili however noted that this year’s event has been organised with particular care to capture the essence of Luo traditions and presents a respectful and inspiring reflection of the community’s past and future.

To woo the region, President Ruto is also expected to unveil several development projects in the region.