This archive report was first published on 28 August 2019.
On Monday, August 26, 2019, a bizarre incident unfolded in Gatamaiyu village, Naivasha, when two members of a Hebrew-speaking sect refused to be counted in the ongoing national census.
The duo, dressed in flowing white robes, reportedly fled to the bushes after enumerators insisted on taking their data. It took the intervention of police officers accompanying the census officials to chase down and arrest the couple.
According to Gatamaiyu assistant chief Robert Macharia, the sect members insisted that being counted was against their faith, and their efforts to convince them otherwise were unsuccessful.
The couple's behavior left the enumerators mesmerized, as they spoke in a language that sounded like gibberish.
After being escorted to the Naivasha police station, the drama continued as the couple refused to eat the food served, stating that they could only consume a meal prepared by one of them.
Police have stated that the two will be arraigned for refusing to participate in the census, which attracts a Sh500,000 fine or one year in jail, or both.
