County moves to acquire the strange stone being linked to Jesus Christ

People from far and wide throng Kaila village in Seme, Kisumu county after word went round that a rock with the image of divine Mary was spotted. The rock has been in existence since immemorial but the discovery has not been made. (Photo: Denish Ochieng/ Standard)

The county government plans to take over and secure the rock that is said to depict the images of Jesus Christ and his mother, Mary.

The county wants to secure the site in Seme as a tourist site.

A team from the county's Tourism Department visited the site yesterday and commenced the process of possessing it.

Director of Tourism Tom Ouko said his office had scheduled a meeting with the representatives of the residents to discuss the procedure of acquiring the site.

"We have scheduled a meeting with the residents to explain to them the benefits of having it listed as a tourism site. If we find that it lies on an individual's parcel of land, then we will buy it," said Mr Ouko.

He said his office would study the area and make recommendations on how the site can be used to benefit both the residents and the county government.

"We will look into having an agreeable management structure, either through the community or directly through the Department of Tourism, in addition to an agreeable revenue collection and sharing structure," said Ouko.

Once all is agreed, the area will be fenced and access roads constructed to facilitate accessibility.

The rock, nicknamed Kidi Achiel (one rock), became the latest tourist attraction in the county after members of the Legio Maria church discovered the images. According to church members, the rock bore the image of Mary sitting on the ground with her feet folded, carrying a baby believed to be Jesus, with his head resting under her chin. There is another child seated on her right and leaning on her folded legs.

News of the find spread like a bush fire, with people thronging the area to get a glimpse of the strange rock, with some terming the phenomenon a bad omen while others insisted that it would bring good tidings for the residents.

If acquired, the site may become a major religious tourism site, synonymous with the Wailing Wall on the western side of the Temple Mount in the old city of Jerusalem in Israel, a leading religious tourism site.

There has been debate among villagers, some of whom wanted to impose a fee on visitors to the site.

The Luo Council of Elders has announced that is was planning to conduct a ritual in an effort to reveal the significance of the stone.

"We will visit the site to see the stone for ourselves and try to interpret its message," said council chairman, Opiyo Otondi.