In a strange event that has caught a lot of attention on social media and in local news, a 16-year-old boy, Baraka Joseph, at Makupa Police Station in Mombasa, Kenya, suddenly lost his ability to speak and started making sounds like a goat and a rooster while being questioned by the police.
The boy, named Baraka Joseph, was taken to the police station on June 28, 2025, after he was accused of stealing two goats and two chickens from a home in Nairobi on April 20, 2025.
A video that became popular online shows Baraka making animal sounds, which surprised the police officers who were trying to ask him questions about the theft.
According to a police report from Makupa Police Station, Baraka was caught at Majengo Sokoni Market after people noticed he was acting strangely.
In a statement, he admitted to stealing the animals and selling them for KSh 3,000 for the goats and KSh 1,000 for the chickens.
However, after reaching Mombasa on June 4, 2025, he lost his voice and started imitating the animals he had stolen, confusing the police and causing people to talk about the incident.
The video, which spread quickly on social platforms, shows officers asking him questions about his name, tribe, and where he lives, but Baraka only responds with animal sounds like bleating and clucking.
Incase You Missed! pic.twitter.com/FHloqTx4e9
— The Nairobi Times (@TheNairobiTimez) June 30, 2025
So this is what he does?! pic.twitter.com/Br4lkk4wRO
— The Nairobi Times (@TheNairobiTimez) June 30, 2025
This incident has sparked conversations about cultural beliefs, with some people joking online that it might be a form of punishment from the Kamba community for stealing.
This is not the first time something like this has happened in Kenya; in March 2023, a woman at Machakos law courts also started bleating like a goat during her court appearance, adding to the mystery of these events.
Some people think Baraka’s behaviour is just a joke or a sign of a mental health issue, while others believe it might be a cultural or spiritual matter, making the story even more popular.
The police have sent Baraka to a hospital for evaluation as they continue their investigation, trying to confirm the theft and find the owners of the stolen animals.
This case has drawn attention to the ongoing problems with small thefts in Kenya and how the public reacts to unusual court situations.
As the video keeps trending, it shows how powerful social media can be in sharing local stories, with many people discussing Baraka’s strange behaviour and what it might mean.
