A sub chief in Nakuru has blamed the recent forest fires of the last two month on superstitious people who deliberately set the natural areas on fire in a bid to 'spell' out the drought calamity.
Wesley Karani Kokoto sub chief near Menengai forest said that he had received reports that some villagers often set the natural environment on fire to abide by their superstitions concerning droughts and rainfall.
He was speaking today at Muchanganyiko business centre during a public forum on agriculture organized by the Bahati Sub county Agricultural Office to sensitize local farmers on planting and better harvest.
“We have on several occasions during drought seasons witnessed many mysterious fire out breaks in our natural environments but we have since come to learn that some indigenous people purposefully set forests and other natural environments on fire due to superstitions concerning droughts and wet seasons. Some people believe that by burning down vegetation during drought seasons appeases rainfall spirits,” Kokoto said.
Kokoto mentioned that not only was this dangerous but an illegal activity.
“These people risk prosecution because the losses the fires bring about are immeasurable. We must be careful in future,’’ he warned.
The sub chief observed that a lot of indigenous, endangered vegetation and wildlife were destroyed by the fires. He said that these fires also endangered the lives of people, livestock and buildings among communities’ neighboring natural environments.