Police rescued a 22-year-old man with a mental health condition in Diani, Kwale County, after he allegedly spent five months in chains under the care of a traditional healer accused of extorting money from his family.
Authorities identified the victim as Guni Dele Mwatela. Police found him partially clothed and shackled inside a room at a homestead in the Kibundani area, where they allege he had been held since January this year.
Police said they arrested the suspect, a traditional healer known as Baakanda, and another person. Investigators have kept both suspects in custody as the case continues.
Officials said the rescue followed reports from the victim’s father, Mwatela Dele Mwatela. He told police that repeated efforts to secure his son’s release had failed, prompting him to seek help.
Mwatela said his son started receiving mental health treatment last year when he first took him to hospital. He explained that when the man’s condition worsened, family members advised him to hand him over to a traditional healer.
He said the family later took the young man to the healer in January and agreed to pay Sh18,000 for treatment.
“My son and my wife stayed there for the first three months. When I later visited, I realized my son’s condition had not improved, even though I kept providing money,” he said.
Mwatela alleged that when he later asked to take his son home, the healer refused and insulted him. He said he continued making payments, but the healer told him not to count what he had already paid.
“I grew more concerned because my son’s health kept worsening,” he added.
He further alleged that the healer used herbal concoctions made from tree branches and other substances. He said the ingredients were boiled in a large pot and used during steam treatment sessions.
After police rescued the victim, officers took him to Msambweni Sub-County Hospital for assessment and medical attention.
Human rights activist Evans Momanyi, who accompanied the family during the operation, condemned the confinement of people living with mental illness in unofficial facilities.
“We received information from well-wishers, and, after the victim’s father obtained an OB number from police, we proceeded to the suspect’s residence,” Momanyi said.
Momanyi said the conditions they found were disturbing. He said they discovered people being held in ways that resembled a prison environment and argued that people with mental illness should receive professional medical care in specialized health facilities, not be locked up by individuals with no formal training in mental healthcare.
He called on authorities to shut down such facilities and ensure patients are moved to proper medical institutions.
“There are government hospitals equipped to handle mental health cases. Families must be encouraged to seek proper medical care instead of turning to practices that could endanger vulnerable patients,” Momanyi said.
Police added that investigations continue to determine the full circumstances of the alleged detention, including claims that the healer demanded money from the victim’s relatives while he remained confined.
The post Traditional Healer Arrested After Mental Health Patient Found Chained in Kwale appeared first on Bossnana.
