Human fossils found in Baringo South

A fossilised skeleton believed to be that of an ancient human being was spotted by children in an eroded gully in Baringo South subcounty.

Excited residents have flocked to the area in Sabor village to take photos and selfies. Social media is abuzz.

“Children were just playing along the seasonal river before spotting the scary skeletons of a human being, then they rushed home to report," resident Mathew Lochomoi told the Star on Tuesday.

The area is 10 kilometres from Marigat town and three kilometres from Koriema Trading Centre in Kimalel location.

Soil erosion caused by heavy rains along River Kabiswa exposed the skeleton.

Marigat MCA Nixon Lemlem said he had already notified the Kenya National Museums requesting an expert to analyse the bones.

“It probably needs an archaeologist [palaeontologist] to carry out conclusive research to confirm if the fossil really belongs to a human and ascertain the exact age," he said.

Lemlem says a similar find was made at Kimondis area where erosion exposed skeletons with some pieces of small corroded iron tools, probably belonged to an early man.

He said the remains could be those of a person swept away by raging waters.

Local historian Barkachai Keitany responded to a social media post saying, “I can authoritatively make an observation that given the depth of the soil sediments, the human remains here must be 100 years plus."

He said the skull and eye sockets also seem larger than usual. "Let's hope someone contacts experts to do a proper dating."

Social media user Mwangize Evanson says from the looks of the picture, the skull looks larger than that of an average modern man.

“The position, facing down means it was not buried normally...it must have been swept to death by raging water or killed and the body abandoned,” he said.

(Edited b V. Graham)