Human hair, skin, nails recovered as Machakos man arrested over witchcraft fears

A 55-year-old man has been arraigned in a Machakos court for possessing items linked to witchcraft, including human hair, skin, nails, and other disturbing materials.

Mumo Nthiwa’s arrest followed a police investigation into the murder of a woman in Machakos town.

During the probe, officers encountered Erick Makau in Mbee, Kathiani, as he was allegedly performing rituals near a water tank. Upon interrogation, Makau named Nthiwa as the source of the witchcraft items.

According to Nzioka Singi, the Machakos sub-county Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss, the arrest was linked to the killing of Easther Katongo last month.

“We were investigating the murder of Easther Katongo in Kathiani when we came across a man involved in witchcraft. That is when we started investigating an alleged poisoning case where another man, Erick Makau, was carrying half a kilogram of tobacco to put in a tank containing drinking water,” Singi said.

“He was cornered by the family and forced to reveal his actions, and that is when he named a few people, among them Mumo Nthiwa. Now we are investigating Nthiwa to know if he has a hand in the murder.”

Singi added that officers later raided Nthiwa’s operating room, where they found numerous charms, photographs of residents, and other cult-like items.

Nthiwa admitted to using fear to extort money from the public and also revealed that he was a preacher.

“We found him with a lot of charms, and he confessed that people seek him. We arrested Mumo and took him to court, where he was prosecuted. He was charged with possession of charms or articles used in witchcraft, sorcery or enchantment for the purpose of causing fear, annoyance, or injury to others contrary to section 5 of the Witchcraft Act No. 23, Cap 67,” said Singi.

Singi urged residents to remain vigilant and avoid falling prey to individuals who exploit spiritual beliefs for financial gain.

Makau was later released after being found innocent. The court has since ordered the destruction of the seized items.