Residents of Mombasa city were Wednesday morning treated to bizarre drama when two men suspected to have stolen a car walked naked in the streets, with a snake dangling from the neck of one of them. The owner of the car, a Tanzanian, had sought the help of a witch doctor after police allegedly failed to recover the vehicle stolen five days ago.
The incident, which went viral in the social media, attracted a huge crowd, causing serious traffic snarl-ups along Bamburi Road. The vehicle owner rushed to the scene accompanied by his witch doctor, who later demanded to take the suspects to his house for cleansing.
The two suspects, who were visibly confused, were arrested and booked at Bamburi police station while the snake was taken by Kenya Wildlife Service guards. The tourist resort town of Mombasa is home to many witch doctors who are believed to provide solutions for various problems.
When you take a casual walk along Mombasa streets, you will be confronted with contacts of witch doctors and their medicine for various ailments placed on fences and poles. The witch doctors – known in Kiswahili as ‘waganga’ – commonly offer assistance in matters relating business, politics, money, love, infertility and also claim to trace lost relatives and items.
It is difficult to differentiate between a true doctor and a fake one as they both operate in a clandestine manner. “Witch doctors are very helpful as they have solutions to a number of problems and ailments that cannot be treated in hospitals,” said Peter Kalama, a resident of Kisauni.
Mombasa residents might now resort to seeking help from the witch doctors to protect themselves from criminals or to recover stolen property.
