Nairobi News

There was drama at Kwale Police Station after exhibits that were to be used in a witchcraft case disappeared mysteriously on Monday, as police prepared to take a self-proclaimed witch doctor to court.

Mr Omar Mboni, a suspected witch doctor from Kwale County, was arrested Sunday and was set to be charged in court on Monday for extorting cash.

Matuga sub-county deputy commissioner Benson Maisori said the witch doctor was found in possession of paraphernalia including a human skull and a tortoise shell when he was arrested in Mkomba village, Kwale County.

EVIDENCE DISAPPEARED

“Police were shocked to learn that the bag containing evidence they had from Mr Mboni had disappeared mysteriously,” he said.

Mr Mboni is said to be performing rituals to catch witches. He is also accused of causing disturbance and endangering lives of elderly people accused of being witches.

It is reported that a section of residents from 13 villages in Mkongani ward, Matuga sub-county, hired him to hunt down witches they accuse of bewitching them. The residents had reportedly contributed sh650,000 for the task.

He was arrested at Mkomba village at the home of Abdalla Nyangasi, who the villagers claim is a witch.

At the time of his arrest, he had just performed a ritual and had managed to remove a clay pot from the house of Mr Nyangasi which contained a tortoise.

He proceeded to urinate on Mr Nyangasi and shave his hair as a way of cleansing him from ever practising witchcraft .

LYNCH WITCH

“The angry residents wanted to lynch the suspected witch before the police came to his rescue,” Mr Maisori said.

During Mr Mboni’s arrest the angry residents accused the police of interfering with their rituals.

Mr Maisori denied that Mr Mboni possesses any powers to catch witches and said he will not tolerate such cases where elderly people are likely to be killed on suspicion of being witches.

Matuga OCPD Mr Japheth Kibuga said they are holding Mr Mboni and he will be arraigned in court once investigations are complete.