This archive report was first published on 6 January 2020.
On Christmas Day, a six-month-old baby was tragically killed by a hen in Shikokhwe village, Kakamega County.
The incident sparked a unique response from the villagers, who believed the hen was responsible for the child's death.
According to eyewitnesses, the hen was seen roaming the compound alongside its chicks, unmoved by the onlookers who were training an eye on its every move.
As the funeral mass proceeded, the speakers were in agreement that the hen and her chicks had to be killed to cleanse the land of 'murder', as they feared the chicks would grow into a 'murderous brood'.
Immediately after burying the baby's body, young men were asked to catch the hen and her eight chicks, and then surrender the chicken to an elder who stood beside the grave.
The elder, who refused to speak 'because he was on a sacred cleansing duty,' picked up a knife and cut the neck of the hen in lightning speed after mumbling for some seconds.
He then threw the hen onto the fresh grave, where it ran up and down before finally laying down dead.
The villagers believed that the curse of death had gone, and they decided to serve the roasted hen exclusively to select elders with a plate of ugali.
However, women and children were not allowed to partake of the sacred meal, as it was believed to banish evil spirits that may come back to haunt the family.
As for the chicks, they were strangled one after the other and thrown in an undisclosed area.
Many at the funeral said they had not witnessed such an incident in their entire lifetime, while others vowed not to keep the birds in their homes until their young children grow into adults.
