Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o has impressed Kenyans, and especially those from Nyanza region where she originally hails from, after she uploaded a video in which she flaunts her fluency in her native Dholuo language.

 

Lupita, the daughter of Kisumu County governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, spoke in Dholuo as she read a copy of her book Sulwe, which had been translated into her mother-tongue - Dholuo.

 

“It's #Sulwe's 1st Birthday!” she posted on Twitter to the elation of her fans, especially Kenyans, as she celebrated the first anniversary of her book originally published on October 15, 2019.

Read More

  1. Shock, condemnation as Will Smith slaps host Chris Rock at 94th Oscars - VIDEO
  2. KNEC makes damning revelations about Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi KCSE certificate
  3. Makasiriko as Kenyans bash Lupita Nyong’o for showing them the middle finger

 

“Your embrace of this story has been one of my life's greatest joys. I'm celebrating today that I can now hold in my two hands, a copy written in the first language I ever spoke, Luo.”

 

Sulwe is a children's fiction picture book by the 37-year-old actress and follows the story of a young girl who aspires for her dark skin to be lighter depicting lessons on colorism and self-love.

 

In a subsequent tweet, the 12 Years A Slave star posted a famous quote by Kenyan celebrated author Ngugi wa Thiong’o to drive her about Africans embracing their own native languages.

 

"African languages are not on a lower rung on a ladder to an English heaven... Use English... but don't let English use you..." - Ngūgī Wa Thiong'o.

 

The Black Panter actress finished by informing her fans that Sulwe (moon) has now been translated into Dholuo and Swahili in partnership with BunkBooks and is available at Mum’s Village and Text Book Center.