Man charged with threatening to kill mother over witchcraft claims

Wooden gavel. [Photo/GettyImages]

A man from the Industrial Area has been arraigned in a city court to answer to charges of threatening to kill his mother, accusing her of bewitching his two deceased brothers.

Philip Mumo is said to have, without lawful excuse, threatened to kill his mother, Jane Katiku, on October 28 at her house in Reuben slums by uttering, “Nitakuua wa kwanza.”

On the fateful day, the accused arrived at his mother’s rental home at about 8pm. He appeared to be drunk. His siblings were watching a television programme in the living room while the mother was resting in the bedroom.

He caused a commotion by demanding to know why his mother and siblings had turned on the TV and were watching programmes that were not his favourite without his permission.

According to the mother, the television had been bought by the accused’s sister. However, the accused vowed to sell the TV and pocket the proceeds, insisting that they would do nothing but accept it.

He further accused his mother and her sister of practising witchcraft and claimed they had bewitched his two brothers, who died some time ago.

Mumo repeatedly alleged that his mother wanted to kill him through witchcraft. In contrast, he vowed that he would kill her first before she could successfully bewitch him to death.

The threats prompted his mother to report the matter to the authorities, who arrested him and later presented him in court before Senior Principal Magistrate Gilbert Shikwe. He was released on a cash bail of Sh10,000 pending a hearing on May 12, 2026.