Drama ensued on Wednesday March 6, in Mateka village in Bumula sub-county, Bungoma county, when a suspected witch doctor was almost lynched by irate villagers. The villagers accused Maurice Simiyu of bewitching them after they found one of his grass-thatched house with all sorts of traditional paraphernalia.
Simiyu however said that he was a traditional witch doctor who only specialised in helping people suffering from different social and economic problems overcome them and not a witch as alleged.
“I am a traditional witch doctor who help people suffering from different ailments and problems. I don’t kill, I only save people from different problems,” he said.
It took the intervention of Catholic Priest Pius Lukhale to calm the situation and save the suspect from irate villagers who were almost lynching him.
“I came here to save this lost soul, he accepted to give out his witchcraft paraphernalia which we have burnt and he has accepted to change his life and accept Jesus Christ as his personal saviour,” said FLukhale.
He called on the middle-aged man to desist from such behaviour or risk imprisonment. Jafred Wanyonyi, a resident, said for a long time the village had lagged behind in development due to witchcraft.
“I don’t trust such people, they are evil doers. Why should they cheat that they can solve people’s problems when they have more problems? They should be isolated in the society” said Wanyonyi.
The much agitated villagers torched the suspects’ houses and left his family without shelter and scared to the core.