17/08/2021
According to the legendary tales, Lake Simbi Nyaima, a volcanic crater lake, resulted from a curse brought upon an entire community. The name Simbi Nyaima means "the village that sank" in the Luo language.
It was a greedy and arrogant-filled community that suddenly disappeared after a violent storm. The cause of the disappearance was that the community refused to shelter and feed an elderly woman. The result is the formation of this depression.
The legend starts with a Chief of Simbi who had just won a battle and initiated a celebration for his victory. In the middle of the celebration, an old woman wandered into the village in search of water and shelter. The woman was said to be ugly and starving; the reason why she did not get help. While the villagers were busy drinking native alcohol and eating slaughtered animals, the old, dirty woman was ignored. Her attempts to get food were thwarted and she got sent away by the Chief and villagers. Legend has it that she was escorted out of the village by many able-bodied men.
The old, dirty woman took shelter in the next village under the roof of a young mother of four daughters. She gave the old woman food and bathed her. The old woman asked her to fetch her husband who was celebrating in the Simbi village. The husband refused to go and instead slapped his wife for interrupting his drinking and feasting. Upon reporting these events to the old woman, she was instructed to gather her kids and leave her home immediately. No sooner had they left the village than a heavy rainfall poured accompanied by lightning. The rain that lasted 24 hours, flooded the whole Simbi village drowning all the people and animals in it. Therefore, Lake Simbi Nyaima was born out of the flood. ,