By Kipruto Lang’at

A newly wedded woman castrated her husband — and attributed her action to evil spirits. The incident, which took place at Silibwet near Bomet Town at the height of the December festivities, is still the talk of the area.

The tragic event had its origin at a party where new circumcision initiates were being feted after the end of their seclusion period. As is the custom, the traditional brew, busaa, which old men sipped through traditional pipes, was in abundance. There was song and dance for the young initiates. The woman, known as Chepchumba, appeared even though she had not been invited.

Her demeanour changed immediately she saw her husband dancing with another woman. After pulling him aside, the two engaged in a heated exchange before the husband went back to his dance partner.

Like any young wife, Chepchumba, who dropped out of school to wed, had wanted to spend the evening with her husband. Old men at the party poured scorn on her lack of manners for daring pull her husband aside.

"He is all over the place, kissing and dancing with other women while I’m alone at home. This is unacceptable," she shouted.

The old men were taken aback, but did not want anybody to interfere with their ‘honey’ as busaa is known locally.

"Ani amei nei chepyosok eng betusyechu, matinyei tegis agot kitigin (What happened to the women nowadays, they have no sense of respect)?" one was heard whispering to another.

Unable to take the husband away, Chepchumba left but not without a chilling warning.

"Take your sweet time with these women but I will castrate you once you come back home," she said.

Demons

As soon as the husband got home, he was met by an angry woman wielding a kitchen knife.

"I hope you have had your fill of women because you will lose your manhood today. You made me drop out of school because you claimed to love me but what are you doing to me now?" she asked him angrily.

"You can castrate me if you wish, dear, but I will not take insults from a woman. In fact, I can even remove my trouser right now," the man responded.

He went on to explain that the woman he was dancing with was a former classmate and there was nothing going on between them. All this while, he was busy removing his trousers and didn’t see his wife go for the offending organ.

It happened in a flash, and it took some seconds for the reality to sink in. Like one in a trance, the wife just stood there with glazed eyes.

She screamed that demons had invaded their home. The husband later confessed that indeed his wife had been like one possessed by evil spirits.

"I love her very much but she has severed what makes me love her even more," he said from his hospital bed where he sought treatment.

The wife meanwhile had been taken to Chepkiswet police post in Silibwet.

The matter, however, has since been concluded and the couple got converted and were even baptised at the local Deliverance Church.