By Anderson Ojwang
Among the Luo community, along the shores of Lake Victoria, a folklore, a story is told of Nyamgondho Wuod Ombare, a legendary figure.
The legend of Nyamgondho was a poor fisherman from Kamwela in Tanzania, who came to sojourn in the Kachwodho clan in Nyandiwa, next to the present Nyandiwa fishing beach on the Suba mainland.
Nyamgondho’s name was Julu son of Ombare and the grandson of Omae.
Nyamgondho son of Ombare was a very poor man who earned a living by fishing on Lake Victoria. He barely had anything to eat or clothes to wear, and, every evening, his underprivileged condition forced him to walk long distances looking for a place among kind neighbours to help him with a place to sleep.
One morning, Nyamgondho woke up so hungry that he thought he was going to die of hunger. Thus, he went to the lake, at least with a hope of getting his daily bread. As he was fishing, he cast his net and upon pulling it in, he saw an ugly woman.
Nyamgondho wanted to throw her back into the water, but the ugly woman persuaded him to pull her out and live with her as his wife. She promised to make him wealthy, on the condition that he never revealed to anyone where he found her.
The lady of the lake was hardworking, and Nyamgondho became very rich, acquiring many cattle and several other wives. However, he suddenly grew proud and arrogant, and one day he came home drunk; each wife, who had her own house, refused to let him in.
Even the lady of the lake refused to let him in. Nyamgondho shouted, “What? Even you, ugly creature whom I found in the lake, you won’t open the door for me?“
Enraged, the lady of the lake replied, “What have you said? What was the agreement when we met?” Nyamgondho told her that with his considerable wealth in cattle, he no longer needed such an ugly wife and he cursed her.
Upon hearing this, the lady of the lake left their home and returned to the lake and, to Nyamgondho’s horror, every one of his cows followed her: one by one they walked into the water, leaving him with no possessions.
The rock formations resembling the legendary lady of the lake’s footsteps and those of her animals can be seen at the point where she entered the water in Nyandiwa. Locals believe that the water which flows above the footsteps has medicinal powers.
This story has a similarity with the Finance and Economic Planning Cabinet Secretary, John Ngongo Mbadi’s recent political declaration.
Mbadi, who hails from Gwasi South, Seka Sub-location, some 3.5 kilometres away from Nyandiwa beach, where the stone believed to be of the legendary lady stands, could have walked into the shadows of Nyamgondho.
From a humble beginning, Mbadi was first elected as the MP for Gwasi in 2007 and went on to serve for three terms.
“I served in parliament for 17 years. I was elected on the first attempt and never tasted defeat,” he said.
In the 2022 general elections, Mbadi expressed interest in the Homa Bay gubernatorial seat but was prevailed upon by the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
After the death of former Homa Bay senator, Otieno Kajwang’, Mbadi was appointed the chairman of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which he relinquished after he was appointed into the broad-based government.
Mbadi was nominated to parliament and embarked on a campaign in his Gwasi South backyard. Before his appointment to the cabinet, Mbadi and his successor Caroli Omondi had turned the area into a battleground.
Recently, in Sori in Nyatike constituency, some 20 kilometres away from Nyandiwa, Mbadi consciously or unconsciously declared that he was no longer interested in any elective seat in the region.
“I was removed from politics. I know, you have heard that in 2027, I will not seek any elective seat. It is painful to the Suba people. In 2022, they did not vote for me, I saw the pain in women for failing to cast their votes in my favour, because I was prevailed upon.
In the last general election, I knew I would be the governor of Homa Bay County. I was honoured to be appointed into the cabinet by President William Ruto,” he said.
The sudden death of Raila precipitated things to fall apart and Mbadi may be watching a Nyamgondho son of Obare moment.
Will he in future return to vie for the Homa Bay gubernatorial seat or will he go back to Gwasi South in a new political dispensation?
