Residents of Shikokho Village in Malava, Kakamega County are in mourning after a hen killed a six-month-old baby.
The toddler, Haggai Bushuru, had been left in the custody of his mother when the incident happened on Christmas Day
The father had gone to the church on the day of the tragedy and only received the sad news in the afternoon.
The mother is said to have provoked the hen which then attacked the baby while guarding its chicks.
“The hen jumped nosily with one of its wings brushing my baby on the face. He was traumatised and started crying until he fell unconscious,” Robai Tobiko, the mother stated.
The tragedy of her son's death came as a shock to the mother who claims it was unexpected.
“My baby would panic at the slightest provocation. I was not surprised when he reacted in a similar way to the hen’s fury. However, I never imagined I would lose him. Things happened rather fast,” she added.
Efforts by the mother and the neighbours to save the life of the baby were fruitless.
“I am lost for words. Our frantic efforts to resuscitate my little angel were fruitless, neighbours joined me and tried to help but it was too little too late,” Robai said.
According to the elders in the community, the hen had to be slaughtered as per the requirement of the traditions.
“It is a tradition. If it was a tree that fell on the deceased, we would cut it down and burn it to ashes. Now that it is a hen, we have to slaughter it and roast it for elders to eat,” an elder said.