Dingswayo
JF-Expert Member
- May 26, 2009
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Two pastors in Mwakaleli village in Rong'e Juu, Taita Taveta county were on Saturday found with a live nine foot python and a dead chameleon reportedly used to flush evil spirits out of the village in their bags.
Irate residents accused Prophet Ibrahim and Pastor Daudi Namwadu Kafuta of swindling them of their money and property in the pretext of performing miracles and exorcisms.
"It was purely by chance that someone noticed the slithery creature in the bag otherwise these people would still be robbing us blind. He raised the alarm and the pastors panicked and attempted to flee," Shem Mwarubi, a resident, said.
Mwarubi said Ibrahim and Kafuta would camp at the homes of suspected witches and claim seeing revelations of snakes in them. They would then chant and emerge from the houses with snakes, scaring the residents who would pay a fee believing their homes had been rid of evil spirits.
"It's a con game these two have perfected for a long time. The pastor plants the snake and makes it look like it has always been there. No one has ever bothered to look deeper into the matter to see if the snakes recovered have anything in common.
We would just be glad that a witch had been found and our problems ended," he said.
Harboring snakes, chameleons and other crawling creatures is largely associated with witchcraft by many of the people in the region.
"We have arrested one of the con-men and we are closing in on the other one. We are certain we will get him,"Mwatate OCPD Francis Mwangi said.
Kafuta, who heads Pentecostal World Mission Outreach in Werugha, Wundanyi division, is being held at Voi police station.
"We have been making good progress in liberating the region from evil spirits until now. The snake belongs to my partner Pastor Ibrahim. I didn't know he had the snake in his bag," he claimed.
Ibrahim had allegedly come from Mombasa to assist Kafuta with the work. He fled and is still at large.
Other items recovered from the two were several kilograms of flour, sugar and tea leaves donated by 'exorcised' residents who could not pay for the services in cash.
KWS officers released the snake to Tsavo East National Park.
allAfrica.com: Kenya: Pastors Nabbed With Python, Dead Chameleon Used to Perform 'Miracles'
Irate residents accused Prophet Ibrahim and Pastor Daudi Namwadu Kafuta of swindling them of their money and property in the pretext of performing miracles and exorcisms.
"It was purely by chance that someone noticed the slithery creature in the bag otherwise these people would still be robbing us blind. He raised the alarm and the pastors panicked and attempted to flee," Shem Mwarubi, a resident, said.
Mwarubi said Ibrahim and Kafuta would camp at the homes of suspected witches and claim seeing revelations of snakes in them. They would then chant and emerge from the houses with snakes, scaring the residents who would pay a fee believing their homes had been rid of evil spirits.
"It's a con game these two have perfected for a long time. The pastor plants the snake and makes it look like it has always been there. No one has ever bothered to look deeper into the matter to see if the snakes recovered have anything in common.
We would just be glad that a witch had been found and our problems ended," he said.
Harboring snakes, chameleons and other crawling creatures is largely associated with witchcraft by many of the people in the region.
"We have arrested one of the con-men and we are closing in on the other one. We are certain we will get him,"Mwatate OCPD Francis Mwangi said.
Kafuta, who heads Pentecostal World Mission Outreach in Werugha, Wundanyi division, is being held at Voi police station.
"We have been making good progress in liberating the region from evil spirits until now. The snake belongs to my partner Pastor Ibrahim. I didn't know he had the snake in his bag," he claimed.
Ibrahim had allegedly come from Mombasa to assist Kafuta with the work. He fled and is still at large.
Other items recovered from the two were several kilograms of flour, sugar and tea leaves donated by 'exorcised' residents who could not pay for the services in cash.
KWS officers released the snake to Tsavo East National Park.
allAfrica.com: Kenya: Pastors Nabbed With Python, Dead Chameleon Used to Perform 'Miracles'