MP NOW SEEKS FOR WITCHCRAFT RITUALS

BY JEFF OTIENO

An MP who hails from the larger Southern Nyanza, Nyanza province a fortnight ago had to seek for intervention of witchdoctors to salvage him from his fast diminishing political career.

The MP (name withheld) is bidding for his third term in the coming polls, is eloquent, a lawyer by profession, is ever glued in Sunday FM radio talk show and is a Narc/LDP MP. He lost the LDP elections and threatened to quit the party with his supporters but later changed his mind when he realized that his opponents were going to capitalize on the move.

It all started when his close political ally who is a Legio Maria sect adherent advised him for a marathon session with the religious members as the only way to restore his grip on power. The sect members took two days in the MP’s home and left religiously.

Plagued with Constituency Development Funds (CDF) siphoning allegations among other misgivings, the cronies of the legislature came back with three witchdoctors who were fished out from their hideout in Lasjona Hotel in Rongo destined to the MPs home which is several miles away.

In what first appeared to be a party for his constituents, it later turned to be a cleansing ceremony where bulls and goats were first sprayed with unknown traditional medicine before being served to the unsuspecting visitors.

According to Luo customs, it is believed that when such rituals are performed, it is tantamount to consolidation of political support and interest. By extension, fate of ones perceived formidable political enemies are sealed.

The fete however turned tragic when one of the women villager died mysteriously in unclear circumstances after the colorful ceremony. The woman was buried last week and the MP in question sent a paltry Shs.3,000 to help offset funeral expenses to the chagrin of enraged villagers.

It is interesting to note that the same MP in 2002 general elections also performed the same ritual which resulted in the death of a middle aged farmer.