Motorists and pedestrians alike are making stops at Kona C-junction along the Kericho-Kisumu highway in an attempt to catch a glimpse of a giant snake said to have been spotted in the nearby forest.
The gigantic reptile said to be about six feet long has become a local tourist attraction with cars, boda boda motorcycles, and pedestrians in the last two weeks stopping in the hope of catching a distant glimpse of the snake at the dense forest, which has a low-lying wetland cover.
When KNA arrived at the scene, a crowd of people had milled around the area talking in whispers and wanting to see the giant snake.
A boda boda rider, Elvis Cheruiyot, said he saw the reptile a week ago crawling along the road at around 6 am as he ferried a customer to his workplace in Kericho town.
“The snake was huge, around six to seven feet long. I was so afraid when I saw it because this was my first time seeing such a large snake. I watched it as it crawled from one end of the road to the nearby forest. This is a strange phenomenon, as I have never seen a snake crawling on the ground,” said Cheruiyot.
A resident only identified as Amos said the giant snake is always spotted coiled at different tree branches at around 5am, adding the snake’s behaviour has generated fear among those living across the forest, saying it should be killed.
Confirming the incident, Kenya Wild Service KWS Senior Station Warden Paul Sigilai said a team of KWS officers from the station had visited the area and spotted the reptile, revealing that snakes prefer to inhabit slow-moving water bodies with vegetation, and the forest vegetation protects it from predators, thereby providing good habitats for them.
He noted that the giant snake was already in its habitat and cautioned residents against encroachment.
“Kona C area is a wetland, and snakes inhabit wetlands. Residents should desist from harming the reptile because it is at its home,” said Sigilai.
By Sarah Njagi
