The official Luo name for President Uhuru Kenyatta is 'Ker' Uhuru Kenyatta.
The reserved title was traditionally used for the highest placed man in the Luo region, before the arrival of western civilization.
With Uhuru placed on top of every other Kenyan and the ultimate leader in Kenya, the name fits him well.
It is the one used to refer to him for official purposes.
Also, the presidency came after the colonization, meaning that it never featured during the composition of the Luo vocabulary and, therefore, has no name in the Luo dictionary.
It is also the shortest name and therefore the best, considering that the others including 'Jatend Piny' (Leader of the nation' are longer and rather unprofessional.
Therefore, it seems there was a need to arrive on a shorter and more official one, hence the name.
Also, it appears to have been given to the holder of the top seat to avoid the appearance that the Luo dictionary has a shortage of words.
It wouldn't have been good if Luo people who are ranked among the most culture-centric had to use an English or Swahili word for the Head of State despite having a name for every other word.
The other holder of the title is the Chair of the Luo Council of Elders who is considered the modern day traditional king of the people.
The position is currently a bone of contention between Willis Otondi and Nyandiko Ongadi, both of whom maintain they are legal bearers of the title.
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