Talk of hidden treasure fills villagers with hope

The air of excitement is almost palpable at Kanyiriri, a village in the outskirts of Naivasha Town.

With claims that a treasure box is hidden near a water source in the area, residents are hopeful that their fortunes are about to change.

For more than two weeks, barefoot villagers alongside politicians and curious visitors have been trooping to the hitherto little-known hamlet, where treasure seekers have been searching every nook and cranny.

The story goes — as told by the locals— that some Germans, who had settled in the area in the 1800s, hid treasure boxes containing gold and other precious metals before they left.

An old man is said to have revealed the secret to the locals who dug a few metres and found a copper ring with German inscriptions.

“When we took the copper ring to a German, he interpreted it for us, saying it indicated that a treasure box was hidden in the cave,” said one digger, who identified himself as Kamau.

That strengthened their resolve to dig further, but authorities stopped them after they had covered 100 metres.

The rocky location where the cave lies has become the talk of the village, and continues to generate a lot of interest. Unfamiliar vehicles arrive in the area, drawing throngs of curious people.

The interest is not confined to the sleepy village. People from Naivasha Town have been trooping there to marvel at the scenic view of the cascading waterfall and entering pitch dark caves to satisfy their curiosity.

A rocky footpath to the fissure is treacherous, and to those keen on entering, a slip might result in a fatal fall.

But the lure of a treasure box containing gold is irresistible. “I have driven all the way to this place to establish whether it is true that a treasure box is hidden here,” said Ms Susan Mburu.

Though she did not find the box, to her, the experience was refreshing. “The picturesque scenery is wow and it’s sheer fun negotiating the rocky and hilly place.”

As is common with regions with such “discoveries”, residents and politicians have begun tussling over who has the mandate to “mine” the precious box.

Here, it is not unusual to find a group of thrilled youths discussing the possibility of becoming overnight millionaires once the treasure is unearthed in their backyard. The possibility might be far-fetched, but to them, it is real.

BANKING ON HISTORY

The elderly are banking on history, advancing theories on how they, years back, heard of the treasure box, never mind that the mania is less than three weeks old.

The prospect of sudden riches has united the villagers with a resolve to locate the one item that they believe will transform their lives forever.

The Constitution provides for sharing of natural resources with host communities, and so, they have a stake, they argue.

The villagers believe that the treasure box is intact, yet its existence may be a hoax.

The perceived treasure has divided local political leaders. Nominated Senator Paul Njoroge Ben has accused a senior politician of blocking mining and instead leaving the matter to government administrators.

“I’m made to understand the Constituency Development Fund was used to buy materials for blocking some of the caves, which is not right,” he claimed.

The senator said he had keenly followed the matter. “We should not be a dismissive lot, but we should instead accord those claiming knowledge of the hidden treasure the necessary support.”