Homa Bay man in trouble for slaughtering stolen bull

A family in Ndhiwa Sub-County is still puzzled over a bizarre incident in which a suspected cattle thief was found slaughtering a bull on the grave of an old man who was buried more than 20 years ago.
The family of the late Joseph Muga is still pondering over the peculiar incident which has never been witnessed in the area. Muga, a resident of Kalamindi village in Central Kanyadoto location, was buried in 2000. But last Sunday, the family was shocked to find a man slaughtering a bull on Muga’s grave.
The man, said to be a notorious cattle thief, is a resident of the neighbouring West Kanyadoto location but his village is adjacent to Muga’s village. Earlier, the suspect reportedly went to Kadem in Nyatike Sub-county, Migori county and stole two bulls. He carried the bulls in a vehicle and drove several kilometres to Muga’s home. 
The suspect tied one bull a few metres away from the homestead.  
On his return to the homestead, he mobilised two of his neighbours to help him slaughter the animal.
One of Muga’s widows, Teresa Aoko heard the sound of a bull being slaughtered and sent her granddaughter to call Muga’s son, Jared Otieno from his homestead, a few metres away.
“I heard sound of something falling on the ground, and then I saw people slaughtering an animal,” Aoko said.
Otieno walked stealthily in the darkness to where the three men were slaughtering the bull. After confirming that they were people he knew, he switched on his spotlight.
The two neighbours ran away but the mastermind remained,  pleading for forgiveness.
Otieno put him to task to explain why he decided to slaughter the bull on his father’s grave. But he failed to give a concrete answer.
“He was lying to me that the animal belonged to him but had fallen ill on the way. But he failed to explain to me where he was going with the two bulls at 3am,” Otieno added.
Otieno raised an alarm and the prime suspect disappeared.
Shortly, residents of Nyatike who were looking for their stolen bulls arrived. The owner of the slaughtered bull identified it before the meat was given to him in presence of Wanjawa Rapedhi Assistant Chief Netto Aketch and police.
What happened has now left the family wondering what was the intention of the cattle thief to slaughter the animal on the grave.
Otieno told The Nairobian that the suspect’s decision to slaughter the bull on his father’s grave raised serious concerns.
“I still don’t understand why he had to slaughter the bull on my father’s grave. Why couldn’t he slaughter it in his homestead which is a walking distance from my father’s home? His actions are suspicious,” Otieno said.
Slaughtering of the bull on the grave of a man not related to the suspect has cultural connotations.
According to the Chairman of Luo Council of Elders in Karachuonyo Constituency Magayi Jonyo, the suspect might have committed the act as a way of cleansing himself.
Jonyo argued that the thief might have wronged the deceased when he was alive and the mistake might be haunting him.
“What happened implies that something wrong the chief suspect did to the late Muga has been haunting him. Therefore, he might have committee the bizarre act after being directed by a witchdoctor in order to get cleansed,” Jonyo said.
Assistant Chief Netto Aketch said they consider the act criminal and they are collaborating with police to arrest the suspect.