There was a colobus monkey snared with special herbs, a
naked man smeared with its entrails to produce a smell that reportedly changed
voters loyalties faster than the best manifesto.
This was not monkey business, witchcraft was allegedly
behind the resounding victory of a Narok Member of County Assembly (MCA),
Mr Kikaet Kuyu as confessed to a court in Narok on Monday (November 13) by the
alleged witch doctor.
Robert Mwongela told the court that through magic, he helped
the ODM Party candidate, Mr. Kuyu, trounce former Olpusimoru MCA Wilson
Masikonde of Jubilee who suffered a humiliating defeat at the ballot on August
8th, 2017.
Masikonde had moved to court challenging his defeat to Kuyu
and as the hearings began, he called forward several witnesses among them
Mwongela, a resident of Kitui who claims he has practiced witchcraft for the
last 20 years.
Under oath, through a translator, Mwongela told the court
that on the 1st of August, seven days before the elections, he received a
visit from James Masai, an emissary from Kuyu seeking help to win the
elections.
Mwongela says he gave Masai herbs to help attract a colobus
monkey as it was a vital part of the ritual he intended to carry out. The next
day, he set out for Ole Nguruoni – Kuyu’s home – under the cover of darkness.
He says he slaughtered the monkey that had been captured and used its hide to
make a belt and a wrist ornament.
Masikonde claims when Kuyu hugged voters while wearing the
belt, they became confused and changed their allegiance.
The witchdoctor also claimed to have mixed the monkey’s
intestines with herbs, smearing the mixture on the supposedly naked Kuyu. What
was left of the mixture and the monkey’s hide was reportedly dumped outside
Masikonde’s door, to bring him misfortune.
Further, Mwongela claims that he was promised a fee of half
a million shillings for his service but he only received Ksh.20,000.
All these steps were reportedly captured in a video that was
played in court on Monday afternoon. The video was captured by the
witchdoctor’s assistant, the pair having resolved to film their clients in a
move geared at ensuring clients did not default.
The film caused a sensation in the packed courtroom; this
even as Kuyu’s lawyer challenged Mwongela’s account of events.
Earlier, the court heard from a neighbour who claimed to
have found the monkey parts left outside Masikonde’s home. The case
continues.
