NAIROBI, June 3: Some ethnic Masai villagers have given a gift of cows to the United States to honour the victims of the Sept 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington, a US embassy official said on Monday.

The cows were presented to the deputy ambassador to Kenya during a ceremony on Sunday in the remote southern Kenya village of Enoosaen, 200 kilometres west of Nairobi.

The Masai, who inhabit the savannas of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, hold cows sacred and measure their wealth in cattle.

“That is part of the reason that the gesture, however symbolic,” was greatly appreciated,” embassy spokesman Peter Claussen said Monday.

Hundreds of villagers gathered for the ceremony — many wrapped in the traditional red blankets of the Masai and adorned with brightly coloured beaded jewellry.

Elders presented the cows and ceremonial herding sticks to Claussen and acting ambassador William Brencick.

The people of Enoosaen decided to give the gift after learning of the September 11 attacks from a former resident who returned to his home village during a break from studying medicine at Stanford University in California.—dpa