In a bizarre twist straight out of a supernatural thriller, police in Matayos sub-county arrested a 26-year-old man on Monday for carrying a live snake in a bag—with no permit to show for it.
Officers identified the suspect as Fanish Ramsey Maloba and nabbed him during a routine patrol at Malenya. Suspicious of the black bag he carried, police stopped him and were stunned to find a two-metre-long black and brown snake slithering inside.
Authorities booked Maloba at Mayenje police post for possessing a wild animal without a valid license from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
But the real twist came during interrogation. Maloba claimed he had crossed the border into Uganda to offer prayers and “cast out demons.” According to him, the snake mysteriously appeared during the session, and he decided to bring it back to his church—Apostle Ministries in Matayos—for “further prayers.”
KWS officers, alongside detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Busia, visited the scene, documented the evidence, and safely took the snake into their custody.
DCI officers have opened an investigation into the odd incident. Meanwhile, Maloba remains in custody and will face charges in court once inquiries wrap up.
