Long ago, when the land was still young, the Maasai say that elephants were the first to walk the earth after cattle. Enkai, the creator, gave them the gift of memory so they could guide other creatures to water and shade.

There was once a great elephant called Olomunyak, whose name meant “the blessed one.” He led his herd across the plains of Kajiado, always finding grass in the dry season and water when streams were low. People respected him, for wherever Olomunyak walked, life followed.

But one year, a terrible drought struck the land. The rivers shrank, and the sun burned fiercely. The Maasai cattle grew thin, and the children cried with thirst. Some young warriors thought the elephants were drinking too much, and they planned to chase them away.

That night, the village elder, Ole Supet, dreamed of Olomunyak. The elephant stood tall, his tusks shining like the moon.

“Do not send us away,” Olomunyak said. “We remember the hidden paths to water. If you follow us, your cattle and your children will drink too. But if you drive us out, the land will dry completely.”

The elder woke and quickly gathered the people. “Enkai has given elephants memory for the good of all,” he told them. “If they vanish, so will our hope.” The community agreed, and the warriors laid down their spears.

The next morning, they watched Olomunyak and his herd begin a long march. Trusting the dream, the Maasai followed. For many days they walked, until the elephants stopped at a hidden spring in the forest. The water was cool and clear, enough for both people and animals.

Since then, the Maasai tell children: “When you see an elephant, honor it. For it remembers the paths of life.”

And that is why elephants still walk the land as guardians of water and memory.