Kisumu - Etymology

Etymology

When the whites first settled in the Kisumu area in the late 19th century, Kisumu became a trading post. The Kisumu region was then occupied by the luo community. Kisumu became a trading post - attracting the luo people from as far as Migori and Siaya. A person going to Kisumu at that time would say, "Adhi Kisuma" to mean I'm going to trade. From the word "Kisuma", the word for a trading post in Luo is "Kisumo". Kisumu the ultimate name for the town is an English corruption of the word "Kisumo".

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