In a certain Luo village in Western Kenya it had not
rained for a very long time. The land was parched, the cattle were dying, and
soon the adults and children would be without water. The local diviner said: "A
young virgin must die so that the country may have rain." The great chief
Labong’o knew that this prophecy meant that he had to sacrifice his only
daughter Oganda to the lake monster so that rain would come. Father, mother, and
daughter had lived together and shared together closely like three cooking
stones in a circle. Taking away the beautiful Oganda would leave the parents
empty and useless. But the chief knew that the ancestors must be served.

    So Oganda was anointed with sacred oil and set off on the
full day’s journey to the lake. After crossing a vast expanse of sand she
reached the lake and was about to throw herself into the water and die for the
whole community. Then suddenly her lover Osinda, who had been secretly following
Oganda from behind, grabbed her. He covered her with a leafy coat to protect her
from the eyes of the ancestors and the wrath of the monster. As they ran away
from the lake together black clouds started to gather, the thunder roared, and
the rain came down in torrents.