Mai belonged to the Waturi, also known as the Awathuri or blacksmiths of Suba. The Waturi were among the Bantu communities who later migrated to Tanganyika, alongside the Wategi, Wagonjo, Wasio and Wagire. Only a few members of these communities remained in Gwassi Location.

Nyamgondho came from a very poor family of fishermen and was himself a poor but God-fearing fisherman. Each evening, the fishermen set their traps. One early morning, when Nyamgondho went to check his, he found a strange woman caught inside.

The woman told him not to be afraid. She asked him to take her home and light a fire so she could warm herself. As they left, she asked him to bring along her goat, which she had left on a nearby mass of floating vegetation after drifting on the lake for a long time.

Nyamgondho treated the woman kindly, and she later agreed to marry him. He worked hard, and with the good fortune brought by his new wife and her goat, he accumulated great wealth: large herds of goats, sheep and cattle. As his wealth grew, he married more wives and began frequenting drinking places, where he drank heavily.

His first wife did not oppose his marriages or his drinking, but she warned him never to abuse her or show contempt simply because he had fetched her from the lake. She became known as the daughter of Migodho, after the fish trap in which she was found, while her husband became popularly known as Nyamgondho.

One night, Nyamgondho returned home late and drunk. All his wives had locked their doors, and none answered his calls. When he reminded his first wife that even the woman he had fetched from the lake would not open the door for him, his harsh words wounded her. She opened the door, but decided to take revenge.

The next morning, the cows became wild and could not be milked. Nyamgondho's first wife told him she would return to Lake Victoria with all the wealth she had brought him, leaving him as poor as he had been before they met. Taking her walking stick, smoking pipe and a few belongings, she called the family and all the animals to follow her.

Nyamgondho watched his family and his herds of goats, sheep and cattle stream towards the lake. He followed and tried in vain to stop them. As his first wife and the animals disappeared into the deep waters, he stood at the water's edge, rested his chin on his walking stick and was mysteriously transformed into a tree. To this day, it is said that the footprints of his family and animals can still be seen entering the lake, as well as the tree into which Nyamgondho was transformed.

Where Nyamgondho's first wife came from remains unknown. Legend holds that she was a goddess, perhaps the same woman who performed other supernatural acts on the shores of Lake Victoria, including the sinking of Simbi Nyaima near Kendu Bay. Some tellers identify her as Anyango Nyar Gwassi — Anyango, daughter of Gwassi — though this may not have been her original name.

The story carries echoes found in other Lake Victoria traditions: a mysterious arrival from the water, prosperity received as a gift, and the warning that wealth without humility can disappear as quickly as it came. It remains a powerful heritage story of the Gwassi lakeshore.