This book is a compilation of oral histories about the movement of Luo
and some Bantu-speaking peoples. It includes histories of many clans or
ethnic groups, and how drought, warfare, disease, and competition over
pastoral resources in western Kenya forced them to look for a land that
they could call their own. Highly entertaining, the stories cross over
from pre-colonial to post-colonial eras, with tales of fooling the
colonial officers, winning battles and producing miracles. Although
warriors and chiefs play a critical part in the stories so too do
unlikely actors such as women, prophets, and common farmers. As one of
the elders put it, "Without history you are like wild animals... you
need to know where you came from and who you are." People with kinship
connections to the ethnic groups represented here will delight in the
references to places, people, kin groups and events. Residents of
western Kenya will be able to trace some of their genealogies to North
Mara and vice versa. Historians and anthropologists will find in this
book a rich primary source for their own research. Those interested in
cultural change will find this a fascinating case of Luo assimilation:
events chronicled in this book are still underway and observable in
communities today. Producing the text in both Swahili and English
ensures that local people will have access to these histories for their
own learning and on-going discussions about the past.
