Allow me start with what should be a simple statement of fact: Luos do not circumcise; they also have their culture. That has been part of our identity for generations, long before colonial borders and modern medical debates.
Not to get cirmcumcuzed is not a sign of ignorance, defiance, or resistance to progress; it is simply a defining feature of our cultural heritage. I am equally a Luo, and I am not circumcised. Raila Odinga, one of Kenya’s most prominent national figures—who just passed on the other day-—is also not circumcised, and neither are many members of his family. This is our cultural truth.
But culture, like language or fashion, is not static. It evolves with time, knowledge, and interaction. Luo culture, too, has changed and continues to change. Today, many Luos have chosen circumcision for various reasons—health, religion, or personal preference—while others have chosen to maintain the traditional path. The key word here is choice. To be a Luo is not to be frozen in a single cultural moment; it is to belong to a living, thinking, and dynamic community that adapts while remembering its roots.
That is why it is disappointing to hear anyone, including a respected academic and leader like Professor Kivutha Kibwana, the former Makueni County governor, draw a direct line between HIV/AIDS prevalence and Luo cultural practices. Such arguments are ethnocentric and misleading.
They ignore decades of public health research showing that HIV transmission is driven by a complex web of factors: social behavior, poverty, education, healthcare access, stigma, and awareness—not merely by whether men are circumcised or not. To reduce a serious national and global health issue to a question of ethnic practice is to simplify what is, in fact, a deeply human problem that transcends tribe or culture.
When scientific studies demonstrated that male circumcision could reduce the risk of HIV transmission, the Kenyan government and international partners rolled out the Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) initiative. Many Luo men participated willingly, not because they were abandoning their traditions, but because they were making informed health decisions. It was never about rejecting Luo identity—it was about preserving life. The distinction is crucial.
To suggest that an entire community’s cultural tradition is responsible for a disease betrays a limited understanding of both culture and public health. In truth, no community in Kenya or anywhere else is immune to HIV. Every culture has practices that can be questioned or improved, but meaningful progress only comes through respectful engagement, not cultural shaming.
Kenya’s strength lies in its diversity. Each community brings its own wisdom, values, and traditions. The Kikuyu have their initiation rites, the Luhya their elaborate ceremonies, the Kalenjin their age-set systems, and the Luo their deep respect for oral tradition and family lineage. None of these practices makes one community superior to another. Our cultures are different, not deficient.
Public health discussions should therefore remain rooted in respect, science, and education. Health interventions should never carry undertones of cultural judgment. When leaders or opinion shapers use health statistics to attack or mock another community, they not only deepen social division but also undermine efforts to promote understanding and cooperation in tackling diseases like HIV/AIDS.
The Luo community has always valued knowledge and debate. We welcome scientific discussion, but we reject the stigmatization of our culture. Those who have chosen circumcision have done so out of awareness, not coercion. Those who haven’t deserve the same dignity and respect. That is what freedom of choice means in a modern society.
So, with all due respect, Prof. Kibwana and others who share such sentiments should look inward before pointing fingers. Focus on strengthening your own community’s health practices, and allow others to do the same. Our collective progress as a nation depends not on who mocks less or conforms more, but on who listens, learns, and respects diversity.
Kenya will not heal or develop through cultural superiority, but through mutual respect and understanding. Every tribe, every custom, and every person has a story. Let’s tell those stories with empathy—not prejudice.
