Dutch colonial era and the surrounding small islands; the territory of the Keo lies south of the
Nage people. In Dutch publications, the name Keo () appears in the reports of Freijss (1860), referring to a group of fishing communities living along the central southern coast of Flores, distinguishing them from the closely related
Nage people. At the same time, Freijss recorded "Kéo Peak" (), by which he meant
Mount Ebulobo. According to historical notes and oral traditions, long before the mass arrival of
Portuguese and
Dutch missionaries and traders in Flores, the name was already known to Portuguese
Dominican missionaries, who had explored areas such as Kewa, Mari, and Lena in the 16th century. In various Dutch sources up to the 19th century, the name "Keo" appears to have been consistently used to refer to the entire region inhabited by both the Keo and
Nage peoples. Dutch colonial intervention in this region came relatively late—only in 1907—compared to many other areas in Indonesia. Upon arriving in the
archipelago, including Keo, colonial officials began restructuring local governance to match colonial administrative models, referencing indigenous social organization structures. Transitions and administrative changes occurred frequently, as foreign rulers struggled to reconcile their system with local customary structures. However, the political situation shifted by the 1920s, and Dutch authorities became more willing to consult local customary leaders. The entire archipelago was divided into or provinces, headed by a governor or resident. In the
Lesser Sunda Islands, some local leaders—customary elders ( or ) and land overseers ( or )—were incorporated into colonial administration. Until the 1910s, Dutch officials often viewed the Keo region as inhabited by a stubborn, hard-to-govern population. This impression arose because two local rebellions took place in Keo around that time: a rebellion led by Kaka Dupa in the Tana Dea region (1907), and the Sela Lejo rebellion led by Lewa Wula (1912). The Dutch, typically applying the strategy of
divide et impera (divide and conquer) adopted a policy of
unifica et impera (unite and rule) in Keo. Facing non-cooperation from the Keo population and needing administrative regions based on shared culture, language, and social organization, the Dutch treated Keo as part of the
Nage district, registering all Keo villages as Nage in colonial records of the 1910s. The background to this unification attempt was the unstable sociopolitical situation in Keo from 1908 to 1912, largely fueled by discontent over taxes and the (forced labor) system. In 1913, after the Sela Lejo rebellion, a major meeting was held in Wajo village, at which Muwa Tunga of Kota village was selected as interim local administrator. Muwa Tunga established Kota village as the district center, later known as Kota Keo. As unrest subsided, A.R. Herns, a colonial official, proposed in 1915 that Keo and Nage be unified into one (district) called "Nage" and governed by Roga Ngole. The Dutch approved this in principle; however, at a meeting in Boawae on 8 April 1917, leaders from both Nage and Keo rejected the proposal. The Flores leadership and the Ngada reported (20 April 1917, No. 798/15) to the Resident of Timor that Nage and Keo should not be united. Keo was to remain its own with Muwa Tunga as administrator. A Dutch decree dated 28 November 1917 (No. 57) formally appointed Muwa Tunga as administrator (), a role he had effectively held since 1913. On 2 March 1918, in the presence of the Ngada , Muwa Tunga took his oath (), signed by him and witnesses. Under his leadership, the Keo was divided into ten , each led by a or . Hamilton listed the ten and their as follows: Tonggo (Pua Mera), Riti (Goo Bhoko), Lewa (Aja Mbaa), Wajo (Aja Ari), Wuji (Mere Muku), Pau Tola (Ora Ari), Kota (Ego Ari), Sawu (Mite Ebu), Lejo (Tado Toyo), and Worowatu (Seme Rau). Although a temporary administrative jurisdiction was established and later formalized with its capital at
Bajawa, the Dutch continued to explore the possibility of unifying the Keo and Nage people during the first two decades of colonial rule. Another attempt failed in 1928. Three years later, on 26 January 1931, unification was finally achieved. The Nagekeo (self-governing domain) was established and lasted until 1950. According to incomplete written and oral sources, although Nagekeo unification succeeded, the Keo Tengah continued to operate under a succession of leaders: Goa Tunga, Yosef Taa, Frans Tua Bara, Mikhael Bhebhe, and Felix Dhedhu. These later became the Keo subdistrict, which was further divided into East Keo (), West Keo (), and Central Keo with its center in Maundai (the region of the Worowatu ).
Indonesian era Under modern administrative structure, Keo was originally part of
Ngada Regency. Based on a decree of the
Governor of
East Nusa Tenggara from 22 February 1962 (PEM.66/1/2), the name "Keo" was retained as one of six subdistricts of Ngada Regency. A year later, a new gubernatorial decree dated 22 July 1963 (PEM.66/1/32) divided Keo into two subdistricts: West Keo (Mauponggo) and East Keo (Nangaroro). Then, based on decree PEM.9/2002, a new subdistrict named Central Keo was formed, comprising eight villages from eastern Mauponggo, namely: Keli, Lewa Ngera, Wajo, Koto Wuji Timur, Koto Wuji Barat, Mbae Nuamuri, Worowatu, and Witu Romba Ua, as well as three villages from western Nangaroro: Koto Diru Mali, Lado Lima, and Pau Tola. After the passage of
Law No. 2/2007 on the Establishment of Nagekeo Regency, the subdistricts of West Keo, Central Keo, and East Keo became part of the newly formed
Nagekeo Regency. ==Population==