Kisumu Museum is a Captivating Celebration of Luo Culture

Kisumu Museum is probably the only Kisumu tourist attraction which combines fun and education in equal measure.

The museum's ethnographic displays are complemented with zoological and botanical exhibits. And, to the credit of the curator, all the artifacts are showcased with incredible finesse.

Here are the highlights of my family's recent visit to the museum.

Cultural Artifacts

Along with the homestead, the artifacts on display in the main gallery give you the most insightful peek into Luo culture as well that of a couple of other Kenya tribes such as Luhya, Kalenjin and Masai.

Benga has been the Luo community's enduring contribution to the Kenya music scene. Musical instruments such as drums, flutes, trumpets, fiddles, harps and lyres (referred to as nyatiti in Luo) typically accompany this genre of music and are proudly displayed at the museum.

One of the fascinating displays are the community's clothing and adornments particularly the elaborate headdress with its generous plume of feathers.

The Kisumu Museum also boasts an impressive display of ironmongery, pottery, basketry as well as agricultural, hunting and fishing implements. Also worth checking out is the harvesting collection, including the seed basket, winnowing tray, harvesting knives and mini-granary.

A garden en route the homestead contains the crops typically grown by the community such as sweet potatoes, maize, millet, sorghum, beans, sesame and groundnuts. Collectively, these wares and crops give one an insight into the nature of the community's economy in the pre-colonial era.

If the weapons on display are anything to go by, it is clear that the Luo have not always peacefully coexisted with their neighbors. The spears, shields, clubs, knives and swords as well as bows and arrows exhibited were probably used to fend off aggressors or attack neighboring communities.

Zoological Displays

Kenya is a renowned animal and bird lover's paradise and this fact radiates from the museum's zoological exhibits...

An embalmed leopard striking an elegant poise. Stuffed primates perched on trees. Preserved Kenya birds with spread-out wings and a myriad of insects. Buffalo and impala trophies stuck on the walls...

All these showcase the dazzling number of Kenya animals that particularly abound in the Kenya national parks.

Luo Homestead

One of the highlights of our museum visit was the intricately laid-out Luo homestead referred to as the ber gi dala in Luo.

Luo men were largely polygamous so the archetypal homestead contains 3 wives' huts and their granaries.

Luo men were largely polygamous so the archetypal homestead contains 3 wives' huts and their granaries. The first wife always had the largest hut in the homestead and it appears that the newer the wife, the smaller her hut got.

In addition, the door of the first wife's hut was directly opposite the gate and important visitors were expected to report to her hut before venturing around the compound.

The homestead also contains the husband's hut and granary, the first 2 sons' huts as well as a kraal. These are all constructed from mud, thatch and twigs.

Freshwater Aquariums

The aquariums contain various species of fish from Lake Victoria. These include tilapia, butterfish, the miniature mosquito fish along with a couple of catfish species.

Unfortunately, the charismatic Nile Perch isn't one of the aquariums' occupants - I guess it would require a really huge aquarium. You can however see an embalmed 300 kg Nile Perch on display.

Live Reptiles

A couple of vicious reptiles writhe away in the Kisumu Museum's snake park. These are a puff adder, an African rock python, cobra and gaboon vipers.

Most of these snakes live in the Kakamega Forest, the only surviving equatorial forest east of the DR Congo.

At the snake pit, you may need to strain your eyes to see a couple of snakes perfectly camouflaged against the pit's shrubs...

The snake displays are particularly appropriate as these reptiles, which are feared and revered among the Luo, are surrounded by countless superstitions and myths.

The tortoise pen contains several tortoises whose ages range from over 100 years to just a few days old.

And, the crocodile pond is home to 2 mature Nile crocodiles.

Trees

There are a couple of flamboyant, euphorbia and other mature trees in the expansive museum compound located just off the Nairobi Highway. These are well-labeled. So, if the botanical instinct in you beckons, take time to peruse the English, Luo and scientific names pinned on each of these.

To make the most of your tour, it is a good idea to ask for one of the Kisumu Museum staff to conduct you around the facility as they will explain all the displays in detail.

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