Nairobi (Kenya) – It may sound stranger than fiction or straight out of a Nigerian movie, but Kenyan women, desperate to keep their roving men on a tight leash, are turning to black magic to keep their men home.
Single women yearning for a man to call their own or seeking a life of material comfort but unwilling to work for it are also seeking the services of the so-called love doctors in an effort to net themselves men with a fat wallet and millions in the bank.
It is believed that once �treated�, these men will find the women so irresistible that they will follow them around like besotted puppies, never casting a glance at other women and answering to their every whim.
What�s more, a woman seeking the services of a witchdoctor no longer has to travel far to get one.
Nairobi, for instance, has its own waganga and all one has to do is take a matatu (or drive) to Majengo, a slum on the outskirts of the city centre, to get the desires of their heart.
Remarkably, the women seeking these services are not just your average ordinary woman.
They are educated, intelligent, sophisticated women with well-paying jobs, the type who have weekly manicures and pedicures.
These women, many of whom are university graduates and hold senior positions at their places of work, will, however, tell you that common sense and a sound education become inconsequential when you see your once cozy and secure world start crumbling.
Take 35-year-old Eunice Syombua*, for example. Eunice, a marketing manager with an international freight company and a Bachelor of Arts graduate from a local university, admits that she sought the services of a mganga a year ago to try and save her ailing, seven-year marriage.
Eunice discovered that her husband, Brian, had been cheating on her for several months. The discovery hit her like a tonne of bricks because she had thought that she and her husband were happy, despite of the challenges every couple faces. She found out about his illicit affair when she stumbled on a text message on his mobile phone.
�I had borrowed it to send a message to a friend, so when one came through soon after I sent mine, I assumed that it was a reply to the one I had sent, so I read it,� recalls Eunice. It turned out that the message was for her husband, and it was from a woman called Mercy.
It said, �Sweetheart, are we still on this evening?�
�It was a Saturday and Brian had told me that he was meeting his business partner that evening.� A huge argument ensued, during which her husband admitted that he was, indeed, having an affair.
�I was devastated. We were college sweethearts and had been inseparable throughout. Everyone assumed that we would get married, and we did,� Eunice recalls of her happier days. She says nothing could have prepared her for this betrayal because there had been no signs that her husband was getting into mischief behind her back.
After several days of �talking about issues� they decided to work on the relationship. �He assured me that it was just a fling, that it was me that he loved. He convinced me that he was committed to our relationship and even agreed to go for counselling.�
Shaken to the core, Eunice started paying more attention to her appearance and started doing more cooking at home. Four months later, however, a friend told her that she had spotted Brian in a certain restaurant on the outskirts of the city looking cozy with another woman.
�The first thought that came to mind was to leave him, but when I considered how much I had invested in our marriage, I knew I could not turn my back on it all. “We had both contributed towards building our home, buying the family car and creating a comfortable life for ourselves,� she explains, adding that she could not stand seeing another woman cheat her out of her hard-earned comfortable life.
It was a friend of a friend who came up with the unconventional solution of enlisting the help of a witchdoctor. At first she laughed it off, but when she thought about it later, she decided to give it a try. After all, the orthodox methods had all failed. Not even horror stories of witchcraft gone wrong could deter her.
�I have heard of men who have turned into zombies after charms that were supposed to tame them backfired. I considered this possibility but convinced myself that it would not happen in my case.�
Accompanied by two women and with Sh5,000, in her handbag, they navigated their way to a local slum and into a dimly lit, dingy single room.
Sitting inside on the floor on a tattered mat was an elderly man with one shuka (shawl) wrapped round his waist and another round his shoulders. Without any pleasantries, he asked what their business was. After explaining her problem, he started mumbling some incoherent things while shaking a rattle.
�It was frightening and I nearly ran out, especially when I saw froth coming from the side of his mouth.�
Afterwards, he asked for her husband�s photograph, which he inserted into a clear bottle containing black powder before corking it. He explained that it signified bondage. As long as the cork remained in place, her husband would remain by her side. He told her to take the bottle home and hide it in the bedroom.
An hour later, and Sh4, 000 poorer, Eunice made her way home with her husband �imprisoned� in a bottle. �It felt kind of absurd but I was willing to try out anything to save my marriage,� she explains.
Whether the black magic worked or her husband realised that his marriage was too important to throw away for a mere fling, Eunice�s husband began spending more time at home and become more loving towards her and their son. So far, all signs are that he has said goodbye to his cheating ways.
Eunice says that she still has the bottle kept out of sight and has no intention of uncorking it any time soon. Asked whether she feels guilty about what she did, shakes her head emphatically.
�He still has his freedom but he comes home to me. Every woman deserves that,� she says defiantly.
Frida Kareithi*, a 30-year-old single mother of one who will be quitting the singles club next month to marry the man of her dreams, is convinced that black magic works.
There have been stories of commercial sex workers who swear that visiting a mganga ensures that they have a steady supply of clients.
Saturday magazine also learnt that most women who turn to witchcraft have tried everything, including prayers, counselling, poring through relationship books and even seeking intervention from their parents.
However, some, like commercial sex workers or those in search of the eternal rich man, resort to black magic simply because they believe or have been told that it is the answer to what they want.
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API/Source.Daily Nation (Kenya)
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