The witch doctor, popularly known as Njua, (in shorts) drinks some liquid from a decorated horn before sharing it with the boda boda operators on April 19, 2018. PHOTO | ALEX NJERU

The witch doctor, popularly known as Njua, (in shorts) drinks some liquid from a decorated horn before sharing it with the boda boda operators on April 19, 2018. PHOTO | ALEX NJERU





Residents of Iriani village in Chuka, Tharaka Nithi County on Thursday morning woke up to a spectacle as a wizard performed witchcraft in public.

The renowned witch doctor, popularly known as Njua, had been invited by boda boda operators in Chuka town in the hope that he could help bring to book the culprit who killed their colleague.

Mr Dickson Kaburu’s body was found dumped in a maize plantation on Wednesday morning.

The witch doctor, aged about 80, arrived at the scene of crime carrying a black bag full of paraphernalia accompanied by an assistant.

The sorcerer opened his theatrics by slaughtering a black goat that had been availed by the deceased’s kin. He then stripped down to a black short before removing his items from the bag and placing them on the ground.

Mr Njua, alongside his assistant, drank some liquid from a decorated horn before sharing it with the boda boda operators who had contacted him.

SEX BAN

He later warned the men who took the drink not to share a bed with their wives for a period of seven days, an order that scared hundreds of onlookers who had milled around.

“Keep off your wives for seven days if you have taken the drink,” said Mr Njua.

Dancing in a circle, the witch doctor and his assistant sang some songs in local dialect cursing the killers.

“Ura guuragiite muthaka uyu arooringwa ii nkaari, aroecuria, aroonyua cumu (May whoever murdered the young man be knocked down by a vehicle, hang or poison himself),” chanted the wizard.

The frightened crowd fled in different directions after Mr Njua summoned a snake from a nearby bush.

He claimed that the murder mystery would be solved within seven days.

“In seven days, the killers will come out in public and confess that they murdered the young man and took his motorbike, ” he said.

SHARED MEAT

Later Mr Njua collected his paraphernalia and proceeded to the place where the slaughtered goat was, shared the meat with the mother of the deceased and the riders who had invited him.

James Mutegi, one of the bodaboda operators, said they resolved to engage the witch doctor because “whenever thieves are arrested by police and taken to court, they are released on bond and return to haunt them.”

“We contributed Sh50,000 on Wednesday and agreed to pay a witch to perform his magic so that we can know the killers of Mr Kaburu,” said Mr Mutegi.

Meanwhile, Tharaka Nithi county police boss Mr Kegode Kidiavai has maintained that they are continuing with the investigations

