Women's ownership row over cows takes new twist after DNA test, death of one
Rift Valley
By
Daniel Chege
| Aug 23, 2025
Two women's efforts to resolve a dispute over who owns two Friesian cows have hit a dead end, after one of the cows died.
Since August 2020, Ann Cherotich and Gloria Kandie have been in dispute over who owned Ruma and Lelgina, two cows that were uniquely subjected to a DNA test to prove ownership in August 2020.
Principal Magistrate Kipkurui Kibelion had, in June, allowed the two women to negotiate and report before the court on the progress after 30 days.
“Parties are granted time to attempt to settle the matter. If unresolved, the defence hearing will be on July 23, 2025,” directed Kibelion.
However, the court was informed that the negotiations were proving difficult after one of the cows, Lelgina, died.
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According to Ms Kandie, who is still in possession of Ruma, Lelgina died after giving birth to one calf on a day she cannot recall.
She added that Ruma was alive and she had given birth to two calves.
“Ruma produces 10 litres of milk per day,” said Kandie.
On her part, Cherotich insisted that it would be difficult to settle the matter because she has not had the cows since they were allegedly stolen in 2015.
She said that Lelgina’s death has also made it hard for them to negotiate and settle the matter.
She proposed that the matter proceed before the court and sees it as the best option for her to get justice and compensation in the event she wins the case.
Cherotich claims the cows were stolen from her in August 2015, following which she made a report at Ngata police station under OB Number 4/27/8/2015.
She, however, stated that sometime in 2020, she came across two cows with a striking resemblance to hers at Kandie’s compound.
“The cows recognized me and even approached me. I believed they were the missing cows, and I made a report,” she stated.
After Kandie insisted that the cows with an outstanding resemblance were hers, they were subjected to the DNA test after the police failed to determine ownership through physical examination.
The women’s descriptions of the cows were recorded, including how the cows were de-horned, their skin patterns, and dentition, and were compared with the veterinary officer’s report.
Peter Ngugi, the Sub-County Veterinary Officer, Rongai, said that the DNA process involved checking the cows’ dentition, tail switch, and general body marks to determine their age.
The test result dated August 28, 2020, concluded that the cows belonged to Cherotich because her description of the cows matched that on the DNA test results.
“Cherotich proved beyond a reasonable doubt that she was the owner of the cows,” read the report.
However, in her defence, Kandie claimed that she bought the cows from two different people, at a combined price of Sh215,000, and named them Ruma and Lelgina.
“I bought Ruma from Paul Majanga for Sh100,000 on October 5, 2018, and Lelgina from David Mugaka on August 1, 2019, for Sh115,000,” she told the court.
She stated that on August 10, 2020, Cherotich invaded her grazing fields and began claiming the cows were hers.
Kandie stated that the DNA test result was biased because her description on the cows was not included in the veterinary officer’s report.
“The cows’ physical appearances were examined in my absence, leading to the erroneous conclusion that they were not mine,” she claimed.
The case will be mentioned on August 27.