Man facing jail term for shaving girl’s hair for witchcraft
A man stunned a Mombasa court on Wednesday after admitting that he shaved a little girl’s hair to use it as charms.
Mr Alfan Rashid Marichin, who pleaded guilty to a charge of being in possession of charms, said he intended to use the girl’s hair for witchcraft.
The offence was committed on June 10, 2017 within Mombasa County.
Senior Principal Magistrate Lillian Tsuma Lewa also heard that the charms were meant to cause fear, annoyance or injury to another person or property.
Prosecuting Counsel Shakwila Ayekha said the accused failed to show reasonable cause why he retained a human being’s hair.
Mr Ayekha read the facts surrounding the case stating that Mr Marichin took the complainant to Tiwi in Kwale County without her parent’s knowledge and shaved her hair.
“He shaved the hair in four corners of the head and put it in a polythene paper before returning to Mombasa while carrying the polythene paper,” Mr Ayekha told the court.
WITCHDOCTOR
The girl narrated her ordeal to her parents who reported the matter at Central Police Station. The accused was apprehended nine days later.
When the accused person was interrogated he confessed that he consulted a witchdoctor who advised him to bring human nails or human hair of a young child, the court heard.
It was not clear what motivated the accused person to consult the witchdoctor.
In mitigation, Mr Marichin pleaded for leniency saying with a promise that he will not commit a similar offence.
In her ruling, magistrate Lewa sentenced the young man to pay Sh 1,000 fine or serve one-year jail term.
“This court has taken into consideration submission by the prosecutions that the accused person be treated as a first offender. You are hereby sentenced to pay Sh 1,000 fine and should you be brought to this court for a similar offence, this court will not hesitate giving you a serious punishment,” ruled the magistrate.