A Kakamega court has ordered one known witchdoctor Mr. Lazaro Inyani, to refund a total ksh.30,000 to his client after his charm failed to nail down thieves.
According to Kakamega Resident Magistrate Sylvia Wayodi, the sorcerer, identified as Lazaro Inyani received a sum of Ksh. 30,000 through mobile money from Stephen Makunda- a resident of Shipala village, Malava constituency, being payment for a charm that was to help Makunda get hold of thieve stealing his chicken.
In his statement before the court, Makunda testified that in 2019, his household items and particularly chicken were being stolen and he was eager to nail the thieves.
“Inyani approached me and promised he would apply some herbal medicine in my homestead to stop rampant destruction and theft of my property. He in fact assured me that a person attempting to steal will remain glued in my homestead until I find him,” testified Makunda.
Convinced with the narrative, Makunda wired some Sh10,000 as a down payment to Inyani’s Mpesa line on August 7, 2019, another Sh5,000 on August 12, and the final installment of Sh15,000 on August 29 of the same year.
He said Inyani gave him medicine in the form of powder and leaves which he placed around his compound and waited to find a thief glued to the compound but in vain.
Although the medicine man did not specify how long the medicine would take to glue thieves in the act, Makunda told the court he felt it was not potent as he was made to believe.
“Thieves continued stealing my property as they were used to,” he said. “I, therefore, ask this court to compel Inyani to refund me my money since he failed to render the service that he promised to offer.”
In his defense, the sorcerer said he had not entered a contract with Makunda and that he (Makunda) owed him some Sh5,000.
“I have never rendered herbal medicine services or practiced it on Makunda. He came to my home to buy a cow from my son and failed to pay him the Sh5,000 balance,” he said.
Pressed on the details of the alleged sale of the cow, the medicine man failed to produce a stock movement permit to prove his claim.
It is then that the resident magistrate Ms Wayodi wrote the orders that Makunda be refunded his hard-earned cash.
Makunda in turn wrote to the sorcerer through his lawyer demanding that he pay the amount as the court had ordered and, with some additional charges.
“Our instructions are to demand as we hereby do that you deposit to our client’s account Sh30,000 plus Sh 5,000 as demand notice fee and you shall also pay Sh7,000 being our collection charges,” said Makunda’s lawyer Momanyi Manyani.
And just like the thieves failed to be glued, Makunda’s application of compelling the medicine man to foot the legal costs for the case did not stick.
