Omieri the Great

Image credit: The Standard

The villagers stared in shock as the rock python slithered into Wasare. The hills of Nyakach were dense with trees and bushes, and occasionally, a critter materialized from the foliage and made its way into their village. But none as large as this rock python. Its thick body slunk forward, and the sun glinted off its scales as it moved. Nobody had seen anything as massive before! Rock pythons were not easy to spot due to the irregular brown blotches covering the length of their black bodies that enabled them to camouflage in the wild. And rarely did humans encounter them. There was only one reason for this sighting: this was no ordinary snake. Surely, this must be a reincarnated ancestor. Could it be… Omieri? Yes, that was the only explanation. And she was returning to the village where she was once married.  

That settled it. This was Omieri, and she was not to be harmed. Quite the contrary, she was to be protected and worshipped. She was a good omen. Word spread to other villages. Omieri was back, but in the most unlikely and holy forms… as a python. And if she visited other villages, their luck would change for the better. This was witnessed time and time again when Omieri was spotted in an area. The rainy season would soon follow, and there would be increased yields on the land, and healthy animals bred in the stock. Abundance and plenty all around. This is how Omieri came to be a symbol of plenty among the Luo community. 

Many revered Omieri for the blessings she bestowed on the land, but there were others in the community who still feared for their safety. They had watched the terrifying way in which Omieri devoured the animals offered to her as a sacrifice. This python wrapped itself around its prey, crushing the poor animal’s bones and squeezing the life out of its body before swallowing it whole. As time went by, this fear bred doubt about the snake’s powers, which grew to become hostility.  

One afternoon, a group of young men decided to take matters into their own hands. Armed with a matchbox and some fuel, they made their way to the sisal plantation where Omieri had been spotted. A match was lit, and the place was set ablaze. Cries rent the air when the other villagers found out what was happening. Kenya Wildlife Service was called in to save Omieri from the raging fire. They swooped in and rushed her to Nairobi for treatment, but the severity of her injuries brought about further complications that resulted in her death on 9th July 1987. The people of Wasare mourned her loss deeply. Sacrifices were made to appease her spirit, but her wrath could not be quelled, and the village suffered from a long drought that hit the region after her passing. 

It might be easy to dismiss the legend of Omieri as hearsay, but anyone can see this rock python for themselves at Nairobi National Museum. That’s right! Omieri’s body was preserved by the National Museums of Kenya after her death and is on display in an airtight glass container.  

Image credit Kenya Film and Classification Board