Witchdoctors in Kwale County now want the national government intervention decrying covid-19 has enormously affected their traditional treatment businesses.

Led by Kwale committee chairman of Witchdoctors Mwakusema Hamisi Mwakweli said ever since the disease was reported in Kenya there has been a decline of patients thus paralyzing the section.

Mwakusema said before he could earn a monthly salary of about Sh180, 000 unlike now where he totally gets nothing.

“I used to get over sh100, 000 when things were good because most of my clients were foreigners,” he said.

He said in a day four non-locals were enough for him to close the business early.

Mwakweli is also known as Tsakapala in the area meaning the snake sire or commandant.

He said the 30-day movement ban by the government is a major blue to their work.

The chairman said, he was expecting to receive visitors from abroad and within the country this week but due to the order and the disease they had to cancel it.

“On Monday I was to do work worth sh90, 000 and some foreigners had also booked but when covid-19 went viral the money slipped away,” said Tsakapala.

He fears that the covid-19 will continue affecting them if they won’t take immediate action.

Mwakweli said the though the disease is beyond their powers they will set a later date to appease Gods and ask for powers to send it away.

He believes that someone had a hand in creating covid-19 calling it dark forces because it came without the witchdoctors’ knowledge contrary to what normally happens.

He said they always receive prophecies when a disaster is about to hit humanity.

“This is not an ordinary disease, we had chicken pokes and so many others but our fathers prophesized their coming and found the cure, why not this one,” he said.

According to Mwakweli he has been fasting since the disease arrived and survived on soft simple drinks trying to find an answer to the problem.

Meanwhile, the chairman said Gods are angry because people have belittled them.

He said some ‘kayas” traditional worshipping places have been cleared making it hard to conduct rituals which needed utmost secrecy because a normal eye cannot perceive.

He, however, said they will adhere to observe good hygiene as directed by the government to fight against the disease as the witchdoctors arrange for special prayers to get the cure.

The Star/ BY SHABAN OMAR