Owner of cow that laid egg to undergo traditional cleansing ritual

Residents of Bulovi village in Shinyalu, Kakamega County, were treated to a rare incident after a cow delivered something that resembled an egg.

Locals flocked into the homestead of David Mateche, the owner of the cow, to witness, and left tongue-tied.

The object the cow “gave birth” to was covered in blood. Local elders warned that a ritual needed to be performed to appease the gods and avert the “enchant”.

Mateche says the cow’s pregnancy was only a month old. He said he had hopes it would eventually give birth to a healthy calf.

“I noticed that the cow was pregnant last week. I was elated because I knew it would eventually give birth to a healthy calf and provide us with fresh milk for quite some time. However, I was really shocked when it gave birth to an egg, resembling that of a chicken,” he said.

Mateche noted that such an occurrence had not been witnessed locally, and in the entire county.

“So many people have been coming here to see the cow and the strange egg. Such a thing has never happened in this community, and it left me in pain because I expected a calf and not an insignificant egg,” he said.

George Shamala, one of Mateche’s neighbours, said they woke up early in the morning to witness the bizarre incident after getting the news from his brother.

“I came here immediately I was informed of the strange happening. I still can’t believe my eyes that a cow has delivered an egg after a whole month’s pregnancy,” he said.

Shamala said it was a sign of witchcraft, urging Mateche to consult elders on what needed to be done to avoid such happenings.

Elders now want a ritual performed to cleanse the family and prevent such incidences in future.

Led by Peter Muluka, they asked that a traditional ritual ceremony be conducted to avert any bad omen in the family normally signified by such happenings. They said the entire community risked.