A family’s quest to find those behind the rape and murder of a woman in Kisauni, Mombasa, took a near-tragic twist when three were hospitalised on Wednesday after taking a witch-doctor’s concoction.
The woman’s estranged husband and his two brothers
- were among the close to 40 family members who took the ‘magic’ drink
meant to help unravel the mystery behind the murder of Ms Margaret
Chepkwony, 51.
The deceased’s family resolved to seek the
Mombasa-based witch-doctor’s help after ruling out possibilities that
her rape and murder on Tuesday last week, were a normal robbery
incident.
Mr Joseph Chepkwony, the deceased’s husband, who
is recovering at Jocham Hospital denied involvement in his wife’s death
and accused the witch-doctor of giving him a poisonous drink different
from what the others took.
“I did not kill my wife. I loved her so much. We
have been married for 25 years and I have been supporting our children
in spite of our separation,” he told the Nation.
He accused his in-laws of attempting to kill him
with the concoction after he insisted he would bury her at their Nakuru
matrimonial home contrary to their intention to inter her remains at her
parents’ home in Kitale.
With him also hospitalised were his brothers Simeon Kirui and Sylvester Kirui.
Mr Chepkwony said the different concoction brought about the subsequent effects.
Find the culprits
He added that he agreed to take the concoction
after suspicions that he was involved in the murder and also as a
personal resort to find the culprits.
“My brothers and I we were called to a room where a
man whom I thought was a religious man did strange things. He mashed
some greens into a paste and mixed them with water and gave us to drink.
After about an hour, I started feeling dizzy then I started trembling
like someone who had taken liquor.”
At this point, he heard the relatives who were gathered celebrating. He became unconscious and only came to in the hospital.
Dr Philip Kisia, of Jocham Hospital said that they
treated the three for poisoning after medical tests revealed reactions
to the concoction.
He added that samples of the concoction were submitted to the government chemist for analysis.
Mr Chepkwony urged the police to investigate the murder of his wife and the actions of the witch-doctor.
However, relatives who talked to the Nation at the
family’s home in Kiembeni discounted Mr Chepkwony’s account and said
they all took the same concoction.
According to the kin, Mr Chepkwony and his brothers were the only people who developed strange symptoms.
“We all decided as a family to seek the assistance
of a medicine man to investigate the murder of our mother after
suspicions that she was killed by a relative and it’s not just another
robbery incident,” a daughter to the deceased said.
