This archive report was first published on 14 October 2019.
On October 14, 2019, a drama unfolded at the Malaba border customs office when a Ugandan witchdoctor was denied entry into Kenya with a 5.5-foot snake.
The customs staff found the man, identified as Joshua Bumba, in possession of the snake, which sparked a heated debate over its origin and his intentions.
According to a cleaner at the customs premises, Bumba claimed to be a witchdoctor from Uganda who was crossing the border to sort Kenyan issues.
He warned the Kenyan officers that he would carry on with his duties like a 'mganga bila mipaka' if he was not let in the country.
When questioned about the snake, Bumba said, 'It is the first time you people are stopping me yet I have been passing here with the snake without a hitch. I am not going to kill a person, I am going to heal.'
Busia County Police Commander John Nyoike confirmed that Bumba was arrested with the snake last week and insisted that he was a witchdoctor headed to Bungoma to treat a mentally ill person.
The Kenya Wildlife Service advised that the suspect and his serpent be repatriated to Uganda, arguing that the animal might not survive on Kenyan soil.
Despite the restrictions at the border, some believe that Bumba could have sneaked back across the border with the snake.
