Rustlers eat grass after stealing animals

By Peter Kagiri

Wonders will never cease. Gatami village in Muhotetu Division of Lakipia West awoke to behold a scaring sight. Three young men grazed after allegedly stealing cattle and the owner sought for intervention from a witchdoctor. It was on Saturday night when cattle raiders invaded a homestead of a man identified as Kibicho and stole six cows. The raiders disappeared from the neighborhood unheard. Kibicho woke up early the next day only to find his cowshed empty.  He could not believe that his animals had been stolen. It is reported that he even pinched himself to confirm that he was still normal and what his eyes were showing him was real.

Kibicho screamed and attracted the whole village to his homestead. It is reported that young men paraded themselves and set on the trail to look for the lost animals. Their mission was hampered by heavy downpour that hit the place and returned empty handed. 

The next day the son of Kibicho came all the way from Tanzania where he has been working. He didn’t come alone but with a stranger. The young men who had pursed the lost animals albeit in vain were ordered to inter into Kibicho’s house. Instructions in the house were that all except the chief should switch his phone off.

The medicine man as the stranger was later identified gave the participants in the house a coffee like substance to drink. He also warned that if any of them knew anything about stolen animals should not drink it. After the brief ceremony, they were all let to go and told to leave the issue of stolen animals to rest.

One of the persons affected by medicine man's spell

Few hours later, three young men acting strangely appeared in the village separately. They appeared mad and staggering around.  This alarmed the villagers and attracted crowds of people. There situation worsened with time until they could not even walk. The villagers oblivious of what could have happened to the young men because of the medicine man’s charm looked for a donkey and carted each at a time to Kibicho’s homestead. Two days later, they began grazing. This strange behavior attracted people from different parts of Laikipia to witness what had happened.

The victims were confused and could not even walk or identify anybody. By the time we went to press Kibicho had demanded Ksh. 50000 from each of them if they wanted to be back to normal state. The cows had not been found also and are believed to have been slaughtered. The medicine man said that two men will appear driving cows to the homestead.

LRV will keep you posted for new developments.