Traditional healer cons, rapes university student
IGANGA,
Police in Iganga District, Uganda, are holding a traditional healer for allegedly raping a university student after fleecing her of Sh2.2 million (Ksh64, 000) meant for her tuition.
Mr Yusuf Otega Kobe, a herbalist in Kasokoso village in Iganga Municipality, is said to have placed an advert on local FM radio stations in Busoga indicating that he could boost one’s chances of making money and favour.
The student at one of the local private universities based in Jinja used the advert to trace the healer for ‘medicine’ to help her get paid Shs260 000 (Ksh7, 600) which bosses at her part-time job in Mbiko Trading Centre owed her.
She also wanted the ‘medicine’ to enable her get Sh5 million (Ksh145, 000) to start a business.
Busoga East region police spokesperson James Mubi confirmed the incident.
He said the suspect and the victim met at Total Guest House in Iganga Town where the healer assured her that instead of Sh5m capital she wanted, the ‘medicine’ would even enable her get up to Sh300 million (Ksh8.7 million) in capital.
WORK WITHIN DAYS
Mr Mubi said negotiations to buy the ‘medicine’ commenced immediately and the girl paid Sh100,000 (Ksh2, 900) for which the healer gave her some medicine, saying it would work within two days
The healer asked her to return if nothing was realised.
The girl applied it but she did not see results for a week. She returned to the healer who told her she was given ‘weak’ medicine because she had paid little money and therefore needed to pay more because the right medicine could only be obtained out of the country.
According to the girl’s statement at police, she accepted to pay Shs2.1 million (Ksh60, 900) to the healer. The victim was instructed to return after three days to pick the medicine.
Upon return, the healer told her to use the medicine while having sex with a man.
The victim who stays with a boyfriend in Mbiko Trading Centre, Buikwe District did so but nothing worked out. She went back to the healer. That’s when the scheme to rape her began.
ADMINISTERING MEDICINE
Mr Mubi said: “The story we have got is that the traditional healer raped a university student under the guise of administering medicine through sex by himself because she had failed to observe the rules.”
Section 123 of the Penal Code Act states: “Any person who has unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or girl, without her consent, or with her consent, if the consent is obtained by force or by means of threats or intimidation of any kind or by fear of bodily harm or by means of false representations as to the nature of the act or in the case of a married woman, by personating her husband, commits the felony termed rape.”
