A 10 years old boy is battling for his life at Siaya County referral ICU after he was burned in the process of driving out demons that allegedly possessed him.
The scary incident that occurred in Gem Sub-county on Sunday left the boy with pain forcing him to be rushed to the hospital and consequently be admitted into the ICU.
According to her grandmother, Rose Obare, the boy has had a tendency of disappearing from time to time.
“Often time he disappears, we look for him with the help of others in different places, sometimes at the banks of the dangerous River Yala, sometimes motorists are forced to apply emergency brakes on the highway,” said the dejected mother.
She also noted, “We have been constantly living in fear because we actually don’t know the malady that ails our grandchild. He is 10 years, he is still in class one because he can’t read or even write his name, it hasn’t been easy.”
It was in this state a woman approached her and told her that the child was possessed with demons that were responsible for the unfortunate occurrences.
“She told me those were pepo (Swahili name for demons), that were possessing the boy, she advised me to allow her pray for the child and exorcise the demons out,” said Ms Obare.
On the fateful day the woman arrived as she had promised, with candles and kerosene, the common paraphernalia that they use to drive out the demons.
After spraying the kid with the kerosene and lighting the candle, the process went on for a short while when they had the screams from the room; they broke in to find the boy burning.
“As they prayed, we heard the boy screaming, when we got in he was burning, we managed to put out the fire then we took him to hospital,” said the grandmother.
Gem sub county police commander, Charles Chacha confirmed the incident, saying that two women have been arrested and locked up at Yala police station in connection with the incident.