This archive report was first published on 13 October 2019.
On October 13, 2019, a petition to recognize Luo as an official language in Kenya was submitted to the Clerk of the National Assembly by Sammy Gwada Ogot, a professor and advocate for the language.
According to Ogot, Luo has an inbuilt capacity to generate, record, translate, instruct, and transmit knowledge in a scientific manner, making it a suitable candidate for official language status.
Ogot also argued that implementing Chapter 2 of the Constitution, which promotes the development and use of indigenous languages, would be a way to give Luo an official status.
Luo is one of 42 diverse languages spoken in Kenya, and Ogot believes that recognizing it as an official language would set a positive example for the development of other languages.
While Ogot has been known for his controversial petitions, including one to legalize bhang, his latest effort aims to promote the importance of indigenous languages in Kenya.
