Kenya, March 23 -- Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioner Margaret Wanjala Mwachanya has been caught in a bizarre scheme involving witchcraft, deception, and a desperate attempt to secure a top government job.

According to a police report she filed, Wanjala sought the help of a witch doctor to interfere with President William Ruto's judgement so he could appoint her as the National Police Service Commission Chairperson. Instead, she was conned out of Kshs. 6.1 million in a sham ritual that left her broke and humiliated.

She first came across the witch witchdoctor through an online platform and was convinced that he had the power to influence her fate. She contacted him and was told to pay Kshs. 3,000 as a consultation fee, followed by Kshs. 12,500 for some mystical "medicine."

The witchdoctor then sent his assistant to deliver the items to her in Nairobi, instructing her to wash herself with a special powder and burn incense sticks.

When nothing happened, she was called for another meeting where she was asked to place Kshs. 380,000 inside a black cloth tin.

She was assured that this would boost her spiritual energy and guarantee her the job. After she complied, she was given the tonne and sent home. When she checked later, it was empty.

Still, she was convinced to invest more money into the ritual. She was taken to a dark room lined with red carpets and small huts, where she was told to place more money in a box. After a staged prayer, the box was opened, revealing what appeared to be Kshs. 18.3 million. She was then instructed to deposit Kshs. 1.83 million to "unlock" the money, which she did.

The scam escalated. She was later asked to add Kshs. 3.3 million, with the witchdoctor's team claiming that the money had now multiplied to Kshs. 48 million.

She was told to keep the box in her house and pray over it for three months. Before the waiting period ended, the witch witchdoctor demanded Kshs. 70,000 to "travel to Tanzania" and negotiate with spirits to speed up the process.

On August 3rd, she was given final instructions. She had to place her bank account number inside a small hut, after which the box would be burnt in a symbolic ritual. She was assured that by August 15th, 2024, the money would be deposited into her KCB Bank account.

When the date arrived, she checked her account-nothing. That was when she realised she had been scammed. The Kshs. 6.1 million she had withdrawn from Equity, KCB, and Co-operative Bank was gone.

She reported the matter at Vihiga Police Station and was referred to the DCI office. The case is now under investigation.

Wanjala's failed scheme has exposed how desperation and blind ambition can lead even former high-ranking officials to fall for crude con games. Instead of securing a top government job, she ended up bankrupt, embarrassed, and at the mercy of the law.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.