In a series of bizarre incidents linked to claims of spiritual revelations, two separate groups involving self-proclaimed pastors were arrested in Bungoma County for illegally possessing and transporting live snakes without authorization from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
The arrests highlight ongoing concerns over the handling of protected wildlife species under the guise of religious or deliverance practices.
In one case, panic briefly erupted at Bungoma Police Station on the evening of Tuesday, February 24, 2026, when a live snake slithered out of a suspect’s gunny bag, forcing officers and members of the public to scatter for safety.
The suspect, Reuben Atsena, who identified himself as a pastor of Galilaya Church Ministries, told authorities he had captured the snake at a home in Matungu Constituency, Kakamega County, where he had been invited to pray for a follower.
“I prayed for the man as he had requested, but the spirit showed me there were witchcraft paraphernalia hidden in his mattress. At the corner of the house, I found a big snake, which I carried,” Atsena said.
He added that the family gave him Sh500 as tithe and promised a thanksgiving ceremony once “the work is completed.” The snake was reportedly to be burned after prayers at his church in Bukembe, Bungoma County.
In a similar incident on the same day, Nahashon Atela Ochieng, 38, a self-proclaimed pastor, and his associate, Emmanuel Reagan Maloba, 23 were intercepted during a routine police patrol in Kanduyi sub-location, about 2 kilometers south of Bungoma Police Station.
Officers spotted the pair riding a red Boxer motorcycle (registration KMFT 835Y) around 1400 hours and escorted them to the station for questioning. A search revealed a white-and-black forest cobra, approximately 2.5 meters long, concealed in their possession.
Both suspects, residents of Koyonzo Village in neighboring Kakamega County, claimed during interrogation that Ochieng had visited Maloba’s home to pray for the younger man’s illness.
Ochieng alleged that the Holy Spirit revealed a live snake hidden in a corner of Maloba’s parents’ house.
He reportedly used a hoe to dig it up, captured it with an old white net, and planned to transport it along with a sheep which was to be purchased with funds from Maloba’s parents to a church in Bukembe for a ritual sacrifice.
The duo was apprehended at Kanduyi market en-route to the church. Police immediately notified KWS officers, who took custody of the snake and transported it to the Kitale Museum for identification and safekeeping.
The suspects appeared physically fit at the time of arrest and were remanded in police custody pending arraignment at the Bungoma Law Courts.
They face charges under Sections 95(c) and (d) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act (Cap 376), which prohibit unauthorized dealing in or possession of live wildlife species.
The motorcycle was impounded as an exhibit, while KWS is handling the wildlife-related aspects of the investigation.
The incident was recorded under Occurrence Book (OB) number 97/24/02/2026 and remains under active police inquiry on how they got the dangerous species which requires permits from KWS.
