Residents of a Gilgil slum are in shock after unknown people uprooted crosses from the public cemetery and planted them outside several houses.
Crosses were planted outside eight homes in Kambi Somali. Residents were shocked to find the grim message Friday morning.
Fear and anxiety gripped the informal settlement located off the Nairobi-Nakuru highway as police moved in to investigate the bizarre incident.
Residents gathered in small groups to discuss the incident in hushed voices before the brave ones uprooted the crosses and burnt them.
Gilgil subcounty commissioner Ndambuki Mutheki said a land dispute in the estate must have been the reason for the incident.
“Currently the county government is in the process of demarcating the land and issuing title deeds and this could have triggered the action,” he said.
A village elder Joel Kuria said that they were unaware of the motives of those responsible as there was no dispute over the targeted houses.
He said that they suspected some youths had taken the action to cause fear among the residents.
“The crosses have been stolen from the public cemetery and were planted strategically outside the eight houses but a religious leader has prayed and sanitised the affected homes,” he said.
Jane Muthoni said that the incident had left her worried, adding that she had lived in the house for over 15 years.
“We suspect that someone wants us to leave our houses and we shall not be cowed by such acts that are committed by people possessed by evil spirits,” she said.