On 17 February the Kenya Forum posted a report on allegations of witchcraft in an election petition (subsequently dismissed) against Mbere South MP Geoffrey King’ang’i. It transpires that there been other allegations of witchcraft and wizardry during the election campaign.

FOUR WIZARDS AND A MONKEY

The election of Kikaet Kuyo (ODM) as a Member of the County Assembly (MCA) for Olposimoru was challenged by the former MCA, Jubilee’s Wilson Masikonde. Mr Masikonde alleged that Kuyo obtained the services of four wizards to gain victory at the polls.

Masikonde claimed the wizards slaughtered a monkey, disembowelled it and spread the poor creature’s intestines in polling stations to sow confusion among his supporters by placing a “juju” on them.

According to Masikonde, Kuyo also tied the monkey’s skin to his waist to attract voters.

The wizardry also had the effect, claimed Masikonde, of mysteriously deleting all the contacts in his phone book making it impossible for him to contact his agents.

Wilson Masikonde’s petition was unsuccessful.

WITCH DOCTOR ‘SPIRITED IN HOME

The were also, allegedly, dark doings in Meru.

Former Governor Peter Munya claimed in a petition that his victorious opponent Kiraitu Murungi, employed the assistance of a witch doctor, one James Barongo Mugambi (also known as Kaana ka Njoka) by spiriting him into Munya’s home in Kiaitu, presumably to cast a spell.

Former Governor Munya withdrew the case.

STRANGE LIQUID AND WEIRD SUBSTANCES

Over in Siaya an allegation of witchcraft was used in the defence when a petition was filed against Governor Cornell Rasanga by Eng Nicholas Gumbo. Rasanga’s lawyer subsequently accused Gumbo of resorting to witchcraft, namely that his supporters had spread a strange liquid about the courtroom and indulged in chewing “weird” substances, presumably this time to put a hex on Rasanga’s case.

Justice Maina took immediate action: he ordered witnesses to stop chewing.

BABY TAKEN – SORCERY?

It is by no means only in the realm of political elections that allegations of witchcraft are current.

A three week old baby boy was abducted from Kenyatta National Hospital. A day the little lad was found in Kawangware and a 29 year old women was arrested accused of taking the child.

The woman concerned cannot be named but her defence when confronted was that she had been a victim of sorcery.

The accused woman declared that she had no intention of taking the baby but another woman, whom she had never met before, had shaken her hand and cast a spell on her, making her carry out the abduction.

“I have learnt my lesson”, the accused is reported to have said, “I will not shake hands with a stranger again”.

The woman went on, sobbing: “I am trying to call her now and she is not picking my calls. Please forgive me.”

The accused abductor did not explain how she had the phone number of a woman she had never met before.