Abdifatah Adhan Hajj is a 26-year-old self-taught snake handler in the small coastal town of Mokowe, Kilimani, Lamu County.
The snake handler has become an integral part of the Mokowe community, despite facing a number of challenges.
Abdifatah’s fascination with snakes began while he was in high school from – watching a popular television show on snake handling set in South Africa.
He says the show gave him a basic understanding of how to handle snakes, which he perfected over time.
In 2021, Abdifatah was employed as a scout by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), where he handled his first snake at the Lamu port.
It was a python, and despite the difficulty of the task, Abdifatah managed to handle it with courage and skill.
Since then, Abdifatah has gone on to handle some of the most venomous snakes, including the spitting cobra and the puff adder.
However, his passion for these creatures comes with its own set of challenges.
One of the biggest challenges Abdifatah faces is the lack of proper gear to protect him while handling these dangerous creatures.
Additionally, he has no place to take the snakes after handling them, other than releasing them back into the forest. This is because Lamu County lacks a snake farm, something that Abdifatah hopes will change in the future.
Abdifatah dreams of a day when Lamu will have its own snake farm, not only as a way to generate revenue, but also to create an educational resource for the community.
The farm would also help the government acquire antivenom, which is currently supplied by the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) in Nairobi.
Despite the challenges he faces, Abdifatah remains hopeful about the future. His passion for snakes and his desire to make a difference in his community continue to inspire those around him.
He, however, warns anyone who has never handled, or is not trained in handling snakes from trying to handle the reptiles as they can be dangerous.