#Gibson. Gathu Mbugua. A veteran actor Gibson Gathu Mbugua, who was well-known for his role as a Prosecutor in the Vioja Mahakamani court dram passed on December 2022. He was one of the most popular faces on Kenyan television and his no-nonsense approach on set made him a fan favourite #humanbodyparts#privateparts#viojamahakamani#ochola.
people believe the possession of human organs opens the door to riches and power.
Human body parts hold a deep fascination in African societies and religious groups with cultic leanings. Not surprisingly, people found with human fingers, private body parts or severed heads attract a morbid curiosity all around, and sometimes become the target of the kind of violence normally reserved for witches and evil priests.
Ritual killings
On March 10, in a village well tucked away in Kisii County, residents woke up to a rude shock. A human head and hand had been dumped on the road. The parts were wrapped in a black polythene bag and stuffed in a brand new green bucket.
The parts were suspected to belong to a man, at least going by the head. Police, however, could not tell where they had originated, who the deceased was or how his body parts ended up on the road.
In February, an 18-year-old Form Four student of Tinderet High School was found dead, with his heart, tongue and genitals missing. Residents believed his was a ritual killing.
Eights months ago, the body of Noah Kipchumba, a Standard Four pupil at Simbi Primary School in Nandi County was found dumped in a maize plantation near his father’s homestead. His left hand had been cut off with a suspected sharp object, his front teeth pulled out and his face perforated several times with a blunt object. Another suspected ritual killing.
In 2014, Evans Owese was arrested and human private parts were found buried deep in the middle of his house in South Uyoma. He was also found with a bucket of human bones by angry villagers. In 2009, he had been arrested after he was found exhuming a body in his village.
While some body parts might be used for medical research, others are used in black magic. Kidneys, hearts and private parts are the most sought after for black magic.
Today, body parts are sold in the black market like your everyday retail business. In Nigeria, the BBC reported that a 17-year-old girl had been hacked to death and dismembered by a contracted killer with instructions from a witch doctor.
Make medicine
Both the killer and the witchdoctor were arrested and confessed to the killing. Some parts were sold to the witch doctor at Sh2,500. The parts were to make medicine to protect his clients from impending misfortunes.
People living with albinism in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and beyond have been victims of body parts trade that specially targets them - with promises of healing and riches depending on which part one gets for the witch doctors to make their concoctions.
The bodies are usually dismembered, with instructions from witch doctors to harvest their private parts, bones, limbs and hair, which are then dried and ground to make charms that are used to ‘bless’ people’s homes and businesses.
With charismatic actors like Olexander Josephat (Peter Sankale) who started appearing in both shows in 1991, Ondiek Nyuka Kwota (Hirum Mungai), Gibson Kamau (Prosecutor), Mama G aka Judge (Lucy Wangui) and Alfonse Dot Makacha Dot Makokha (Mathias
8 фев 2019
