Is MRC using witchdoctors for oathing?

By Standard Reporter

Kaloleni DC Fredrick Ayieko has said Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) is increasingly recruiting children for military activities.

He added that witchdoctors are participating in binding children to MRC’s cause by administering oaths and warned parents to ensure their children are not snatched away by the secessionists.

“In the recent past, we have witnessed cases where young people get recruited to MRC before they are taken to witchdoctors where they take oaths. This trend will not be allowed by Government,” said Ayieko in Kilifi. Ayieko’s remarks follow Friday’s arrest of six robbery suspects believed to be members of MRC.

The suspects, expected in court this week, include a 75-year-old man alleged to be a witchdoctor.

Three children have been arrested for alleged involvement in MRC activities. It is not clear what MRC suspects were doing with the witchdoctor but officials indicate he could have been retained by the separatist group to cast spells on members to protect them from Government.

Police claim they found a booklet with names of MRC members, its manifesto, agenda and it bore a Court of Arms.

Ayieko said the suspects, some of whom were from the neighbourhood, were hiding from police and were at the witchdoctor’s home to get some charms to help them escape arrest.

“The six were arrested inside a house of a witchdoctor who was in the process of administering charms on them. Our informer had told us there were some robbers who had escaped from Mtwapa and he had heard them make calls to find out if police were still looking for them,” said Ayieko.

He said they also recovered about 200 grammes of bhang and herbs believed to belong to the witchdoctor.

“The MRC booklet recovered had some information about the Kenyan Coast, the reasons why the group wants to secede and ideologies of the group,” he added.