THE RAMOGI VILLAGE.

Got Ramogi is 40 kilometers west of Siaya Town. It is a sacred hill which is believed to have held the key to the life of the Luo people for centuries. It is believed to be the Got , meaning hill, where the Luo people first settled before they dispersed to the various parts of Nyanza where they currently live.

A tourist attraction, it is as mystical as it is interesting to climb to the summit. At the top of the hill, one experiences a soothing cool breeze, believed to be the fresh air the Luo ancestors left behind for everyone climbing it.

Ramogi means 'popular' and from it the Luo people bestowed the title Jaramogi on the late Oginga Odinga ,Prime Minister Raila Odnga's father. It means 'man of the people'.

The hill is at the edge of Lake Victoria and the confluence of Rivers Yala and Nzoia before the two pour into the lake.

It is believed to be where Ramogi, the ancestor of the Luo people , lived and gave them instructions where to go.

From the summit, Ramogi blessed the lake to have more fish and looked to the east from where the sun rises to invoke Nyasaye (God) for a big harvest.

And from the top, one can view Lake Victoria, the sprawling Yala swamp and the shoe-shaped Namboyo Lake, one of the three small lakes in the swamp.

There is Rapogi stone surrounded by traditional pots. "It shakes when it is about to rain , either stopping or giving it a go-ahead to pour,"Mrs .Neseka , a guide says.

And when there is a drought spell, the Luo people go there to pray and plead with it to bring rain. A nature trail, marked with white and red bands, has been put to guide visitors to other sites. Then, there is the 'cow and its calf' stones, which are believed to 'give life' to the Luo people

The third is a big tree that is believed to have 'swallowed' an axe when an enemy of the Luo tried to cut it to bring disaster in the region.

The fourth is Omieri (python) believed to be residing on the hill and the only comes out when Luo elders go there to 'beg' for blessings.

The Legio Maria church has a shrine, where they drew water to bless their followers. They go to the hill for overnight prayer sessions.