Motorists and pedestrians are making stops at Kona C-junction along the Kericho-Kisumu highway hoping to catch a glimpse of a giant snake said to have been spotted in the nearby forest.
The snake is said to be about six feet long and has become a local tourist attraction.
Cars, motorcycles, and pedestrians in the last two weeks have been stopping to catch a distant glimpse of the snake.
The snake is said to be in the dense forest, which has a low-lying wetland cover.
A boda boda rider, Elvis Cheruiyot, said he saw the reptile a week ago.
He said it was crawling along the road at around 6 am as he ferried a customer to Kericho town.
“The snake was huge, around six to seven feet long. I was so afraid when I saw it, as this was my first time seeing such.
"I watched as it crawled from one end of the road to the nearby forest. That was strange, as I have never seen a snake," Cheruiyot said.
Amos, a resident said the giant snake is always spotted coiled at different tree branches at around 5 am.
He said the snake’s behaviour has generated fear among those living across the forest, saying it should be killed.
Kenya Wild Service senior station warden Paul Sigilai said a team of officers from the station had visited the area and spotted the reptile.
They said snakes prefer to inhabit slow-moving water bodies with vegetation, the forest protects them from predators thereby providing habitats for them.
He said the giant snake was already in its habitat and cautioned residents against encroachment.
“Kona C area is a wetland, and snakes inhabit wetlands.
"Residents should desist from harming the reptile because it is at its home,” Sigilai said.
