A farmer in Chebagal village within Bureti Sub-County, Kericho is still in shock after his in calf cow was mutilated by unknown people on Thursday.
Mzee Paul Kigen woke up to a distressing scene after unknown people invaded his home and did the unthinkable on his ten year old cow. The cow was mutilated with bloodless excisions and its unborn calf removed.
Kigen told KNA on Thursday that he woke up at around 6.30am to attend to his milking chores only to meet one of his cow dead at his shamba.
“I woke up to milk my two dairy cows, a chore I usually do at 6.30am and I was in a rude shock when I found my favorite cow dead. These evil people mutilated my pregnant cow and to my surprise there were no signs of blood in the immediate area or around its wound. We slept soundly and it disturbs me as to why we failed to hear any sounds coming from the cow pen during the night where I keep my seven animals,” added Kigen.
The father of five added that his cow valued at Sh.70,000 produced 10 litres of milk daily was expected to deliver in a weeks’ time and its death was too much to bear since he sold milk to generate income to sustain his family.
He called on security agencies to expedite investigations as his family depended heavily on livestock farming as their only source of livelihood.
When KNA visited the scene, members of the public were huddled in groups talking in hushed tones of the strange incident that had left them scared and dumbfounded.
There were no signs of blood in the immediate area or around the wound and no footprints around the site of the mutilated carcass.
A neighbor, Samuel Tanui termed the act as cultic, adding that this had given them a scare and left them terrified without a clue on how to keep their animals safe.
Confirming the incident, area assistant Chief Lily Cherotich said this is the first incident to have happened in her jurisdiction.
In a telephone interview with Bureti sub-county police commander Felician Nafula, he called on members of the public to volunteer information to help expedite justice as investigations on the matter had commenced.
By Sarah Njagi
