Witchdoctors push for legal recognition

By Tobias Chanji

Kwale, Kenya: Witchdoctors and traditional medicinemen have petitioned the Kwale County Assembly to pass a law recognising and regulating their trade.

They say with legal recognition, they will not only pay taxes, but will operate in a regulated environment devoid of harassment.

The calls came as a Member of Kwale County Assembly prepares to table a motion aimed at curbing proliferation of rogue medicinemen.

The sponsor of the motion, Idd Omar Boga, said the petitioners have genuine concerns and revealed that he will table the proposed law when they resume sittings.

Boga said the law he is proposing will recognise genuine practitioners and weed out frauds.

“We want to identify genuine medicinemen so that they are licensed as we do away with the fake ones,” said Boga, who is also Bongwe/Gombato Ward representative.

The MCA was speaking in his office when he received members of Jamii-Tiba Society East Africa who want to be recognised by the county government in line with the Constitution that devolved cultural activities.

“Before passing the Bill, we will seek the input of all stakeholders including clients,” he added.

Boga argued that the law will compel the executive to licence geniune traditional medicinemen, who complement mainstream health services.

Boga said the sub-sector can be a source of employment as well as revenue for the county if managed properly.

Administering oaths

“If this group has 200 members, for instance, and each member pays Sh5,000 yearly, the county can realise a lot  of revenue,” he stated.

During a purge to clamp down on Mombasa Republican Council members, the medicinemen were targeted by police on suspicion that they were adminsitering oaths to members of the outlawed group.

The crackdown saw many live in fear while others fled to Tanzania. Juma Mwaboza, a medicineman from Ukunda, welcomed the bid to have them recognised, adding that the planned law will also help root out imposters.

“The work has not benefited us much because of the many fake witchdoctors whose only motivation is money,” he said.

His compatriot Said Kichui said their work is a profession like any other and deserves recognition.

“It is just like our education system, others use trees while some use jinn,” said Kichui.

Mr Abdallah Boga, who is the chairperson of Kaya Ukunda, said the only difference between traditional medicinemen and the modern ones is that the latter use technology to process and package their products.