This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
On June 26, 2020, a bizarre incident shook the residents of a slum in Gilgil, Kenya. Unknown individuals uprooted crosses from a nearby public cemetery and planted them outside the houses of eight families in the Kambi Somali slums.
The residents, who had been living in the area for decades, were left in a state of anxiety as police moved in to investigate the incident. According to the Gilgil sub-county commissioner, Ndambuki Mutheki, the incident was linked to a land dispute in the slum.
“Currently, the county government is in the process of demarcating the land and issuing title deeds, which could have triggered the action,” Ndambuki said.
However, a senior resident, Mzee Joel Kuria, suspected that rogue youths were behind the act, intending to cause fear among the residents. Kuria pointed out that there was no dispute with the targeted houses.
“The crosses have been stolen from the public cemetery and were planted strategically outside the eight houses. A religious leader has prayed and sanitized the affected homes,” Kuria added.
