Residents of Komwerano Wayene, in Igembe, Meru County, are in shock following the death of a famous witch doctor.

Maoru M’Mwenga was said to have been killed by his own witchcraft on Wednesday after failing to heed his father’s advice.

Neighbours say that the ‘gift of witchcraft’ was part of the inheritance Mr M’Mwenga received from his father’s upon his demise.

He was however given clear instructions on how to take care of the witchcraft paraphernalia.

“Maoru was supposed to light a fire for the paraphernalia every evening, as well as slaughter a bull for them every fortnight,” residents say.

BOUTS OF CONSTIPATION

But due to his carelessness, he was prone to forgetting the instructions, and in many cases, he would be promptly ‘reminded’ through acute bouts of constipation.

Residents claim the bouts were a frequent occurrence as he often travelled away from home or forgot to tend to the paraphernalia.

Before his death, the famous witch doctor is said to have made numerous unfruitful attempts to dispose of the witchcraft tools. Frustrated, he then began considering running away from his ancestral home.

He was planning to move with his wife to Meru town where he hoped to evade the powers of his inheritance. This was however not to be as he eventually succumbed to an acute bout of constipation.

Members of his extended family are also said to be eager to ‘outrun’ the legacy.

Those who decided to remain behind are looking for a specialist witch doctor to perform cleansing rituals on the homestead so that the witchcraft does not pass to any other family member.