' ▁phen ot ype ▁and ▁are ▁much ▁shorter . ▁According ▁to ▁Hall pi ke ▁( 1 9 7 2 ), ▁the ▁latter ▁som atic ▁characteristics ▁are ▁more ▁marked ▁amongst ▁Kon so ▁women . ▁George ▁Mur d ock ▁( 1 9 5 9 ) ▁attributes ▁the ▁pron ounced ▁' neg roid ' ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁Kon so ▁in ▁general ▁to ▁early ▁inter - mi xture ▁with ▁the ▁agricult ural ▁pre - Nil otes , ▁who ▁entered ▁the ▁Eth iop ian ▁high lands ▁about ▁ 5 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁The ▁Kon so ▁mainly ▁res ide ▁in ▁Eth iop ia ' s ▁Southern ▁Nations , ▁National ities , ▁and ▁People ' s ▁Region , ▁south ▁of ▁Lake ▁Ch amo ▁in ▁the ▁S agan ▁River ▁b end . ▁Many ▁are ▁concentr ated ▁in ▁the ▁Kon so ▁Zone . ▁Their ▁territory ▁is ▁adjacent ▁to ▁Om otic , ▁Sid ama ▁and ▁O rom o ▁communities . ▁ ▁Kon so ▁typically ▁live ▁in ▁large ▁towns , ▁each ▁govern ed ▁by ▁a ▁council ▁of ▁el ders . ▁A ▁few ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁parts ▁of ▁northern ▁Ken ya . ▁ ▁Language ▁The ▁Kon so ▁speak ▁the ▁Kon so ▁language ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁aff a ▁x onso ) ▁as ▁a ▁mother ▁tongue . ▁It ▁belongs ▁to ▁the ▁C ush it ic ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁Af ro - A si atic ▁family . ▁ ▁Kon so ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁four ▁dialect s : ▁K hol me , ▁Du uro , ▁F asha ▁and ▁Kar atti .