Kenyan politicians now trooping to Tanzania, Mombasa, Kitui and Migori for juju as elections nears

If you see a politician emerging from a violent scene unharmed, wears a specific shirt or coat in every political rally, yet he is very rich, and addresses the masses with his hand in his left trousers pocket or pats his shoulder, that is witchcraft in action,” reveals a popular witchdoctor.
An election is the season of harvest for witchdoctors, and if history is anything to go by, politicians could be trooping to waganga’s huts in droves to ‘bewitch’ voters, their
opponents or to simply arm themselves with talismans to ward off juju.

With party nominations just around the corner, witchdoctors will be raking in cash by the truckload. Already, politicians have started accusing opponents of visiting witchdoctors at night while joining congregations in church on Sunday mornings.

While some visit waganga to win elections, others outsource them to eliminate rivals. Sigor MP, Philip Rotino, raised alarm in 2015 after witchdoctors from Morogoro in Tanzania called him with claims that they had been paid to eliminate him before the 2017 General Election.

Martin Suchi, also known as Mbwa Kali, is the witchdoctor who revealed to The Nairobian that top politicians pay him millions to ‘treat’ them. Mbwa Kali claims none of his clients lose political seats

To win an MCA’s seat costs Sh100,000, while a parliamentary seat will set an aspirant back by Sh320,000. To be a senator or governor, the stakes are even higher and one has to part with a cool Sh1 million. For those pressed for cash, Mbwa Kali accepts instalment payments.
“One has to pay 500,000 before the elections and the rest after winning. For instance, when an MCA wins, he pays Sh105,000. The extra Sh5,000 is burnt and is mixed with special ointment. One has to apply this oil on his seat in the chambers,” explains the witchdoctor who revealed that he gives politicians ‘special spices’ to put in voters’ food to woo them.

# The food you eat at a politicians home is always spiced.

“The spices are added to the food during campaigns. This concoction works like magic. It hardly backfires and you are assured of a landslide victory,” he boasts and adds that his clients must undergo a special ‘cleansing’ ceremony.

“One has to drop a Sh500 note in a calabash for ‘greeting mzee’ then proceed for body anointment, similar to a massage, using oil and fresh herbs. This is aimed at ensuring the client’s body responds to medication. After this, you will be ready to receive my services,” explains Mbwa Kali who claims that he sometimes turns down politicians whom he feels are not “genuine, serious or are malicious.”

“This white shuka is where they (politicians) put their money. The money is then ‘measured’ by waving it over a traditional basket to determine whether it is acceptable or not.

# Wote ni Wangu !Wote ni wangu!

He disclosed that he prescribes a concoction for politicians to sniff and mutter the words; “Wote ni wangu, wote ni wangu (all voters belong to me, all voters belong to me),” when they sneeze.
“One has to bath in water treated with a libuyu lifubu (a kienjeji egg that has failed to hatch) for protection from opponents and any charms or weapons that they might deploy,” he disclosed. 

University of Nairobi sociology lecturer don  explains that, “Affluent people have a lot to lose if things don’t go their way. So, for them, if it’s witchcraft that can make sure they are comfortable in their positions, they will go for it. Poor people have little to lose and their solution is usually fervent belief in religion.”

Bishop Peter Njogu Kibutu, a lecturer at Kenyatta University, says many politicians are engaging in witchcraft despite being active in their professed religions, and this is worrying.
“Politicians have abundant resources and think they can manipulate the forces of nature to suit their wishes,” says Bishop Kibutu, adding that divination in the African culture is good because it is well intended but witchcraft is evil and should be avoided at all cost