Kikuyu elders slaughtered a spotless white goat, offered it as a burnt sacrifice and prayed facing Mt Kenya to ward off the coronavirus.
The Kikuyu Council of Elders led by Njoroge Karatu performed the ceremony at Thika’s Chania River on Thursday. Similar ceremonies have been performed there for ages by the community's elders.
Wearing face masks and elders' attire, they said the ritual was meant to cleanse and heal the country of the pandemic.
The goat’s blood, excretions and pancreas were thrown into the river in symbolism of how the pandemic will leave the country.
“The virus will flow to the salty waters (the Indian Ocean) just like the goat’s blood, excretions and ashes have washed downstream,” elder Karatu said.
The elders sprinkled ashes into River Chania while invoking God to cure the country of the virus.
“The smoke from the offering has risen to the skies indicating that God, Mwenenyaga, has heard our prayers and cries. We believe that He will cleanse our country and wash out the virus that has crippled many nations across the globe,” Karatu said.
They also poured milk, honey and a combination of grounded sorghum, millet and black beans into the river exuding confidence that the virus will fade away.
“Just like Jesus cast out demons from a man, condemned them to pigs and ordered them to perish into the waters. And just like Naman was healed of his leprosy by bathing in a river, we believe that the calamity that has befallen us will be washed down to the oceans by the river,” the elder said.
Karatu said that their forefathers performed similar rituals whenever the community was faced with hunger and diseases.
“We trust in our God that He will end this plague that has fallen on earth,” he said.
He called on other elders across the country to perform similar rituals in their respective areas to appease God to heal the nation.
Elders Chege Gathu and Ng’ang’a Kimuyu called on Kenyans including political and religious leaders to pray for the country.
“We know our economy has deteriorated and many sectors have been crippled. Let’s set aside all our differences and come together to pray for our nation,” elder Kimuyu said.
(edited by o. owino)