A village in Navakholo Constituency, Kakamega County, is up in arms following a bizarre series of events in their locale.

Apparently, the residents of Ematiha village have been waking up to shocking scenes of their livestock and other domesticated animals either badly injured or killed all together.

On Thursday, March 22 morning, Peris Nasambu Omwaya could not believe her eyes upon learning that the tail of her only dairy cow had been chopped off, and it was bleeding profusely.

“Nilienda kufungua ngombe wangu nikaona damu pale. Nikashangaa ni nini! Kuangalia kumbe kuna mtu amemkata mkia. Huyu mtoto ametuchokesha kwa hii area,” Nasambu lamented.

But this is not an isolated case in Ematiha village. Villagers are blaming a certain 23-year-old – Wycliffe Oduya – as the culprit behind appalling incidences.

According to Obed Songa Jivole, another resident, Oduya has been brazenly crisscrossing the area stealing goats, sheep, pigs, and chicken, slaughtering them before preparing sumptuous meals right before their eyes.

“Tumeshangaa sana katika area yetu kuna kijana ambaye amechipuka kuua na kukula vitu ambazo watu wanafuga. Leo asubuhi tumepata amekata ngombe za jirani yake mbili na moja ya ndugu yake. Na anapokata hizo mikia, anaenda nazo,” Jivole narrates the ordeal villagers face at the hands of the notorious suspect.

The culmination of Oduya’s bizarre acts was earlier this month when residents say he attacked his neighbour’s dog, slaughtered it and ate the meat.

“Tunashindwa ni mtu anamtuma ama ni nini. Wiki mbili zilizopita tuliambiwa aliua mbwa akakula,” a visibly angry Emmanuel Mukhovi says.

The residents say they have made several reports to authorities, but Oduya is usually released from police custody few days after his arrest.

Even their pleas to the suspect’s mother — to try and talk to his son about stopping the uncouth behaviour — have fallen on deaf ears. His mother, the say, is always leaping to her son’s defence whenever they report such incidences.

Mukhovi now says that enough is enough, vowing that the villagers will take matters into their own hands if authorities do not arrest the situation. “Kabla maneno haijazidi, serikali ichukue hatua kwa sababu tunasema wananchi wasiposaidiwa watajisaidia.”