300-year-old ‘sacred’ tree falls in Kenyan community

A 300-year-old Ekebergia capensis, commonly known as the Cape Ash (Teldet in Kalenjin) tree, considered to be sacred to the Kalenjin community, has fallen in Aldai, Nandi County of Kenya.

The multi-trunked tree was used to conduct prayers in the previous years before the establishment of St Peter’s Koyo ACK Church in Nandi.

One of the community elders, Charles Kering said;

“The tree is estimated to be as old as 300 years and considered home to spirits as our forefathers used to conduct spiritual services there. We do not know what really happened to it, we just heard a loud bang in the morning at 6 am after its fall.”

While some residents of the community feel the fallen tree signifies a new crop of leadership following the death of former President Daniel Arap Moi, others feel that the fall signified the consequences of failing to respect the old.

Religious leaders however believed that the tree was “just old” and had outlived its strength.