Kisumu will host the sixth Piny Luo Cultural Festival from 14 to 16 December, bringing together thousands of people from Kenya, neighbouring countries and the diaspora to celebrate Luo culture, heritage and identity.
Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o announced the dates on Friday as he unveiled a technical committee to oversee preparations for the three-day event.
The committee, chaired by Deputy Governor Matthew Owili, includes representatives from the four Luo-majority counties, the Luo Council of Elders and other stakeholders.
The committee has been tasked with developing the festival’s theme, coordinating preparations, mobilising resources and overseeing its delivery.
“The 2026 Piny Luo Festival comes at a defining moment in our history,” Prof Nyong’o said.
It presents an opportunity for our community to reaffirm its unity, celebrate its heritage, strengthen its economic prospects and chart a clear course for the future.
He invited Luo people living across Kenya, Africa and the diaspora, as well as development partners, friends of the community and the wider public, to attend the festival in Kisumu.
Luo Council of Elders chairman Ker Odungi Randa said the festival is expected to attract thousands of participants from Kenya and neighbouring countries, including South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Zambia.
He also encouraged members of other Kenyan communities, including those from the Rift Valley, Central Kenya and the Kisii region, to take part in the celebrations.
Speaking at the Kisumu Museum, Prof Nyong’o said cultural festivals play an important role in preserving the Luo community’s traditions and passing them on to younger generations.
“We must know what Luo culture is,” he said. Prof Nyong’o urged young people to read books on Luo history and traditions, listen to Luo-language radio programmes and watch local cultural performances.
He said the festival would also help promote Kisumu as a tourism destination by showcasing the county’s cultural heritage to visitors.
The governor said the county was also working to improve its cultural infrastructure, including plans to build a modern theatre for drama and musical performances.
“I am working very hard, and I hope I will succeed before I leave being governor. We need a theatre because our people are very artistic,” he said.
The Piny Luo Cultural Festival is held periodically to celebrate the Luo community’s language, traditions and heritage.
It also promotes cultural exchange, regional integration and discussions on the community’s social and economic development.
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