Leads in search for Logooli/Luhya Cultural Dress

Pic 1: Posted on Havi's facebook page on 20th February 2026, Nelson Havi (right) greets and meets while stealing the show on his dress code.

Introduction

There has been the question, “What is the traditional dress of Logooli (Maragoli)?” It has been difficult to give a clear answer because of a number of reasons. One is that do we identify with a specific code of dressing that is (was) in use, do we have several of them to select from, do we build on a one particular or do we invent one and thematize it so? And for purposes of saving time and costs, do we not have any of our lead community persons inspire us answering the question?

pic 2: A coloured image of Logooli ancestors. It is one of the oldest images of Valogooli in one of  their dressing. Taken circa 1930's.

To start, our earlier ancestors gave little attention to dressing; at the time explorers arrived in Africa, documenting, some of them felt shameful to see Africans going about near fully naked with no shame on themselves. 

pic 3: A getty images representation of North Kavirondo people, as researched on by Gutner Wagner, 1930's. 

One of the early campaigns was to get the Africans dressed. And when our ancestors adopted dressing they developed standard culture that keep creating heated debates in public. The church, school, work environment are all dress-code branded. The effects to all this is now an active dress industry that introduces (or judges) a person/group.

pic 4: Nelson Havi, a famous Logooli-born Advocate and Former President, Law Society of Kenya is here seen having a pleasure in a stylistic cultural adorn.

pic5: An AI dressed image, adorning Patron Hon. PCS Musalia Mudavadi and Logooli girls models in leopard regalia

History

Lack of institutionalized traditional dressing does not imply that Africans were not industrial to make clothes. But their forager nomadic lifestyle, warm equatorial climate and bodily adaptations from childhood made them go on quite well without a leopard skin on their bodies or sandals on their feet. In developed African systems as Buganda Kingdom the Leopard skin was such special that anyone would be killed for the treasonous atrocity to put on ‘kingly’. 

The earliest dress of Logooli is said to be ‘’Kiinazilu” to mean “one that is used to cover”. This was only for the pubic area. We are told that that before the “”V”-shaped tie” (as of pampers today) of Kiinazilu, it was a bare waist rope, “kinazilu” (one that fastens), with a singular cover flap where one would only cover the front or the back exchangeably. For the oncoming person one would cover the front and for the person at back the flap would be shift to back. Wonder how many the shifts if there were more in front and some more at the back. 

Necessity for the “kiinazilu” could have been when a woman was on her periods, often with absorbent leaves placed between it. When not, they were as good as men in “kinazilu” rope. Their breasts were left bare for life and mostly covered with madoongolo (necklaces) or zisaate (round beauty lumps as a result of blade cuts of the skin).

The women later had “Kivooya”, a loose skirt. This is known to be ‘of’ cloth. Before cloth, the materials for kivooya must have been “amakoola” or related fibres. Banana and sisal fibres are the ones known but “kikaambi” and some tree barks would offer good fibre too. 

pic 6: Makoola (raw binana fibres) presentation as a dressing by Tiriki Women (Logooli girls).

The knowledge of skin tanning in making use of hides and skins of animals is also an early knowledge that was only for the beddings, for they slept on hides. Perhaps a person’s kinazilu held a reptilia skin if not a revered wild animal for other uses as reproductive potency. A man or woman on reproductive medication wore a copper waist ring. To keep it from bad eyes it had to be covered, hence need for dressing. 

pic 7: A design as portrayed by Elder Akoto from Keveye village. 

The upcome of fabric, lijoola, revolutionized the Logooli way of dressing. Whereas others bought to cover the whole body, “luvaala” (suka), others sew shirts and shorts. Lunyerere old town is known for this, the Indian merchants in 1960’s made it a lively hub of purchase and sewing clothes for Logooli and other communities. The materials were called “marikano & Malidufu” by their appearances. Khaki was strong enough and multi-purpose.

Dressing for Occassions

The Logooli when taking boys for circumcision today do wear long open shirts or are covered with lesos. In the past they would be covered in cow hide and smeared white soil, liloongo, from where blood friend is begotten, viloongo, as two boys would smear each other, sometime making patterns. 

On the big day of lialuka, they now wear white shirts and black trousers with a special ‘mudovoolio’ stick in the hands. The stick fiddle is from tree Ficus Ovata. The stick is decorated by cutting out special patterns without completely removing the back. The milk white underback contrasts well with the black back and with some painting it makes it glow and have a longer life. 

pic 8: A man and three Logooli 2023 initiates possess for a photo with lead circumcisor, Francis Ngori.

Normally, in the hands of a way fairer or aged person was ‘ulusaala’, stick. Often, it was a special stick with a ‘v-‘ shape upper part, known as “luvivi”, used for plucking fruits from tree tops or removing any way side matters. It also offers arm support by gripping by the thumb. 

pic 9: Isagi from Mudungu village decorating Midovoolyo, sticks from Ficus Ovata (Mudoondo) tree. 

In traditional weddings, it is documented that girls would smear oil on their upper bodies and splash simsim seeds on themselves. At pubic area and shortly on the thighs was a miniskirt of earlier mentioned either materials. 

Today when elders are attending a special cultural function as wedding or child baptism they put on hats of different types if one wishes, coats when not in suits and bakoras for men. Women have their heads covered with a kitambaa and in full dresses; either church-white or in some bright coloured kitenge. 

pic 10: The late (D. 2025) B. Chahilu, former chair of Vihiga Cultural Society addressing elders in 2023. You can observe their dress code for the cultural meeting.

Valogooli learners wore brown shorts and bright shirts at the start of mission schools courtesy of Friends Africa mission based at Vihiga, Kidundu. The senior members of the community adorned in full white sukas, a kin to the Swahili (and muslims). Later on the full white sukas would be adopted as official early Church clergy as a sign of sabbath and holiness. But it did not last long as there developed breakaways from the first church to different sects like the African Church of the Holy Spirit which added a red cross symbol on it while Friends Church slowly relegated the ‘whiteness’.

Brief Politics on Traditional Dress Code

pic 11: Attention is on the guard lad's shield. Often cases it should have the Kenya design flag. Does that make it cultural?

The government of Kenya through the department of Culture in the reign of President Uhuru undertook to design the national cultural dressing. When Kenyans on social media platforms heard of the budget, they started cross communications that it was hard to gather clarity with others exaggerating on figures (or the less trusted government over costing). 

Their arguments ranged from letting volunteers do it or adoption of one as of Maasai community that is an internationally known wear. How money can be spent for this is what many could not understand. And going by that, the way Vihiga County people rubbished its Governor and officers when they budgeted for a county anthem, it may be as same to intend to budget for cultural dressing.

Yet it is not an issue to be taken lightly. Well thought-of ideas, outlined literature, and eyes wide open to relatable designs and colours can fast silence the debates, save on budget and have the proposed accepted. One team leader in one of the cultural functions argued that a simple national dressing is the flag – why look far? 

pic 12: Posing of Lung'afa Igunza (Youth representative), Amb. Ken Vitisia (Lead 46th Festival Organizer) and Dr. Ruth Agesa (CECM Vihiga County, Sports and Culture Department) during the 46th Logooli Festival 2026.

But to what extent does a flag as the Kenyan package and assist in cultural propagation? What indigenous community has the red, black, green, white rhyme on its dress code? It would appear that the flag of independence was not hoisted with culture as a national pillar – but Political, economic and social pillars alone. African taste is observed to be ‘populatedly designed’ and not the plain of colour as flags present. 

With the republic curved by colonialists and propagated by beneficiaries, culture is less invoked on the national stage – but the constitution full of loopholes and unending mends. Those studying cultural studies though they find lots of inter-cultural relatedness, are interested in the uniqueness that strengthens identity. The Agikuyu’s brown, though similar to Terik’s minority community of Vihiga, do carry different stories. 

Pic 13: Dr. Clarence Eboso (Secretary to Broad-based 46th Logooli Festival Organizing Commitee) and Lung'afa Igunza at Masai Market, November 2025, picking ready-made outfits for requests from Maragoli.

The coat of many colours that may appear once all cultures colours have been included will first depend on increased consultations. Some communities as Luhyas are further sub-identified culturally. Will they need their uniqueness to be ‘seen’? Where some communities have several dress codes and hold none in priority or are not advanced in defining theirs, will it be done for them or bypassed? 

The Logooli Dressing Initiative

Towards the 46th Logooli Cultural Festival in 2025, the organizing committee split hairs on colour, fabric, design and accompaniments of a cultural dress code. The Vihiga Cultural Society executive members wore their usual grey, of green collar and arm ends deco, official to their activities.

pic 14: Taken during the coronation of Nelson Havi as Logooli/Luhya elder. Note the grey wear of members of Vihiga Cultural Society and the green collar lining.

During the planning for Circumcision 2023, organizing elders led by Hezron Azelwa, chair of Vihiga Cultural Society (2020 -2025) identified a brown colour, idaliinya as a best suiting for Logooli dressing. The meeting resolved to make it official Logooli cultural wear. The year 2023 ended without progress on it.

Pic 15: The 'idaliinya' cultural colour as presented by Mzee Hezron Azelwa (Chairman of Vihiga Cultural Society) to Logooli Elders on 19th July 2023. When Mzee Azelwa attended the 2025 Broad-Based Organising Committee, he was positive on change of colour, to what may be seen best applying.

The 46th Festival envisioned a scenario where the design packaged the complexity of Logooli cultural and social components where men and women, elders and the young, seniority and forth would have a small marking or representation in an indication as madoongolo (beads) or cap whisk. 

Challenges witnessed included sourcing of the fabric, who will design and at what price. The 26th of December was moving near and near and it would have as well been another wishy idea were it not for the determination of the Broad-based organizing committee where Vihiga Cultural Society felt uncomfortable to work with. 

Importantly, the Logooli dressing has to be in context. The Logooli people are one of the main Luhya sub-tribes and how they dress will also define the Luhya approach to dressing. This factor should consider what clearly pulls the bigger tribe together; sports, economic activity, environment and more.

pic 16: The AFC Leopards (registered in 1964 as Abaluhya United Football Club). The club is also known as 'Ingwe', the Leopard. Attention is on the kit which is agreed as representation of its "'sport spirit.'' It is on this note that we remember the National Logooli Sports hero and legend, Kadenge (aka Kadenge na Mpira), a Logooli famed son who played long for AFC Leopards, winning the 1966 League Cup.

It was on participations as on WhatsApp public online walls that the idea of a Leopard regalia was applauded by many. Requests started coming but the 

The end year result of 2025 saw more people adorned in leopard-spots regalia. It was mainly a simple short-sleeved shirt for men, bought for the day. Those who went an extra step were few but well seen; woman taking time to mind the feet to the hair, a man deciding to add a cap and a stick in hand.  

pic 17: During the 46th Logooli Festival at Mbale Municipal Grounds, 2026. The organising team of elders, led by Dr. Edward Ambeva (on the right of Patron, Hon. Musalia Mudavadi) had prepared it all well. The Leopard wear made for Patron was said to be unfitting and that is how he slightly missed the beautiful adornment to crown the day.

In 2026 you can once in a while spot someone in Vihiga, likely an elder, adorned in the leopard-spot shirt, appearing prominent in other wears. A thought to improve on the dress code often crosses the mind. That cultural dressing may increasingly apply in the many ceremonies and clan/cultural meetings that go about in day to day lives. In another approach, the social and economic enterprise informed by tastes, creativity, meaning and more will see us shift from plain dressing to meaningful dressing.