By Tim Binnall
Residents of a Kenyan village are on edge following the discovery of a casket containing a bloody note listing the names of several prominent local figures. The creepy find was reportedly made last Wednesday near the home of an official in the town of Wote. Described as "blood-soaked," the chilling list of politicians and leaders with a cross mark next to each of their names understandably sparked concern in the community, where belief in 'black magic' is fairly widespread.
"Since the discovery of the casket and note, there has been fear, and everyone is just trying to make sense of what happened," said Meshack Kyenze, a local official unfortunate enough to be featured on the bloody list. Noting that "superstitions are rife" in that part of the country, he observed that "many are linking this to witchcraft." That said, Kyenze indicated that not everyone is convinced that the display was created with the dark arts in mind, as more skeptical residents have suggested that the incident was meant as a "scare tactic" aimed at area political leaders.
Alas, authorities investigating the peculiar incident found themselves at a significant disadvantage after it was learned that local clerics had burned both the casket and its contents shortly after it was discovered. As such, police could pull no fingerprints from the items nor derive any clues about where they may have originated. For his part, Kyenze offered a sanguine perspective on being included on the list, musing that "I am not deterred by this incident in my ambitions. I know it comes with being in the public eye."