Bumula constituency woman shocks villagers by crying over python

By ROBERT WANYONYI

Residents of Bumula Constituency in Bungoma County are living in fear of witchdoctors as the area has many pythons.

Late last year, some residents battled a huge python for close to four hours.

“This snake has been swallowing our goats and scaring our children. Recently, it emerged from a bush and chased a young school girl for more than two kilometers. The girl was lucky by virtue of her athletic prowess,” said an old man.

As Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers were preparing to move the serpent, an old woman emerged jumping and wailing to the bewilderment of the crowd patiently waiting for the relocation of the snake.

“Why are you taking away my child? You have killed my children,” the visibly shaken and angry woman shouted. “Why are you taking away my goat?”

The woman threw herself down and rolled on the ground till her head touched that of the serpent which was fighting for its life from the injuries it had sustained.

“Whoever has done this has killed me. My goat can’t wake up now. Pray that it doesn’t die because you will see strange things never seen here before,” threatened the woman in her late 70s.

Pets for socery

Residents who had scampered to safety due to the woman’s antics summoned courage and returned to confront her.

The woman was beaten up before the mob descended on the six-metre long serpent again, killing it despite pleas by KWS officers who wanted to relocate it to Kakamega Forest or the Kitale Museum Snake Park.

Police arrived at the scene in time to save the woman who the residents claimed had been practicing witchcraft for years.

Young men latter stormed the woman’s house and recovered some paraphernalia.

Also recovered were an old pot which had students’ report cards, medical reports and a list containing 10 names the residents claimed were victims targeted by the woman.

“On the list, she had carefully ticked on names of four people. All four had already died several years ago either through road accidents or long ailments,” said a young man who participated in the raid.

Other regions in the former Western Province where a high number of residents keep serpents as pets include Kanduyi in Bungoma County and Teso and Bumala in Busia County.

Residents claim the pets are kept for sorcery purposes.