Of empty office and witchcraft whispers: Godhana's battle with faith, fear and politics

A   partially opened gate and a deserted parking lot are the first signs that something is amiss at the Tana River County Government headquarters in Hola.

The Trade Building, which houses the office of Governor Dhadho Godhana and several key departments, stands largely abandoned. Most offices remain locked, with junior staff said to have frequently absconded from duty over the years.

What has shocked residents is not just the empty corridors, but the reason whispered in corridors and debated across social media: allegations that the governor has avoided stepping into his official office for eight years over fears of witchcraft allegedly planted there by his predecessor, Hussein Dado.

For nearly a decade, Governor Godhana has reportedly declined to occupy the official seat, choosing instead to operate from his private residence in Makutano, about eight kilometres from Hola town. Visitors seeking his audience are routinely redirected there.

The unusual arrangement has reignited public debate, with residents questioning how suspicion of sorcery could keep a sitting governor away from his designated office for an entire term and beyond.

Even high-profile delegations have had to adjust. During a past visit to Hola by an ODM delegation led by the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the meeting was held at the governor’s Makutano residence without setting foot in the official county offices.

READ: 'Witchcraft' keeps Tana River governor away from his office

Sources within the county say Cabinet meetings and tender deliberations are often conducted either at the governor’s residence or at a satellite office in Nyali, Mombasa.

Critics argue this arrangement has complicated service delivery and made access to leadership more difficult for ordinary residents.

“The people who suffer most are wananchi who need services directly from the governor,” said a Hola resident who requested anonymity. “You go to the office and you are told to travel again.”

The prolonged absence has reportedly created a vacuum within the main county offices. Several departments are said to operate intermittently, with junior officers allegedly taking advantage of the governor’s rare appearances to stay away from work.

Akare Dida, a member of the county’s council of elders, claimed they had advised the governor against occupying the office.

“We told him from the word go not to sit on the predecessor’s chair if he wants to remain alive,” Dida told The Nairobian, suggesting that powerful charms had been placed there during the previous regime.

In what some describe as a symbolic reset, all furniture acquired during the former administration was reportedly removed and stored at the procurement department, with new seats purchased. 

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Ali Mluva, the County Executive Member for Public Service and Administration, however, offered a different explanation. He confirmed that the governor operates from outside his official office but attributed it to crowd control rather than superstition.

“He prefers working from his residence because when he is at the office, many people come seeking handouts,” Mluva said. “I cannot confirm whether it is linked to witchcraft, but it is true that visitors are normally referred to his residence.”

County Director of Communication Kofa Mrenje declined to comment extensively, describing the matter as a human-interest angle and suggesting that questions be directed to the governor himself.

County Secretary Mwanajuma Mabuke, who works from the same Trade Building, acknowledged that her boss rarely steps into the office and that most correspondence is handled from his official residence.

Christian

However, sources close to Governor Godhana dismissed the witchcraft narrative as a non-issue, insisting it has not hindered him from performing his duties.

“I won’t confirm or deny the allegations. However, the governor is a Christian and does not believe in such things. Tana River is geographically vast and he has to move across the county and also engage other leaders. The most reasonable base is his official residence,” the source told The Nairobian.

The source drew a comparison with national leadership, noting that the President primarily operates from State House, yet still maintains an office at Harambee House.

“It does not mean he does not have an office elsewhere,” the source added.

At the time of going to press, the governor was said to be in Mombasa attending the Jumuiya ya Pwani Agriculture Revitalisation Summit, underscoring claims that his schedule often keeps him away from Hola.

Godhana, first elected in August 2017 and re-elected in 2022, is no stranger to public service. Before joining elective politics, he served in the military as a General Service Commissioned Officer in various capacities, rising to the substantive rank of major.

A self-professed Christian, his interest in theology saw him pursue a Certificate in Discipleship and Evangelism from Life Ministry.

He previously served as a Member of Parliament for Galole Constituency and held senior positions in government, such as assistant minister for Communications and assistant minister for Livestock Development.

Abdalla Bakero, a close friend of the former governor, dismissed the witchcraft reports as mere imagination seeking to tarnish Dado’s name.

Bakero, another member of the council of elders for the pastoral community, said the former governor could have won the 2022 elections if indeed he was practising witchcraft.

He said Godhana’s absence from office is a personal choice informed by his own beliefs. 

“His absence from official office is personal. Let the current administration look for other excuses, but not portray a bad image of the former governor, who does not know anything about witchcraft,” said Bakero.

Tana River County, home to more than 315,000 residents, continues to grapple with development challenges ranging from infrastructure to water access. For many locals, the bigger question remains whether leadership can truly function from a distance, and whether fear, faith or political calculation has kept one of Kenya’s county chiefs away from his own desk for nearly a decade.

In Kenya’s high-stakes political arena, campaigns are often fought with rallies, rhetoric and resources. But occasionally, the contest drifts into murkier territory, where allegations of witchcraft, oaths and curses become part of the script.

Engaging in witchcraft is not just the stuff of rumour or roadside gossip; it has, in the past, cost leaders their careers. A by-election can be triggered before a mheshimiwa has even recouped the millions spent on campaign posters, caravans and strategy teams. That reality hit home in the 1990s when a sitting Cabinet minister lost his parliamentary seat over such claims.

On November 17, 1994, judges Emmanuel O’kubasu, GP Mbito and John Mwera delivered a landmark ruling in Nairobi that unseated former Webuye MP and Regional Development Cabinet Minister Musikari Kombo.

The court found him guilty of administering traditional oaths intended to bind and instil fear in voters during the 1992 General Election. The judgment sent shockwaves through the political establishment, serving as a stark warning that the supernatural, when entangled with electoral processes, could have very real legal consequences.

Years later, the intersection of politics and the occult would resurface in dramatic fashion.

Mpuru Aburi once caused an uproar after publicly declaring that a witch doctor known as Kaana na Njoka would help Kiraitu Murungi secure victory at the ballot. At the time, Kiraitu was battling incumbent Peter Munya in the hotly contested Meru gubernatorial race. The remarks ignited debate and ridicule in equal measure, highlighting how easily mystical claims can intrude into modern democratic contests.

Perhaps one of the most vivid recent episodes occurred in June 2017, ahead of the August 8 General Election.

Then Samburu governor Moses Lenolkulal publicly alleged that his rivals had enlisted 15 witch doctors to tilt the electoral scales. According to his claims, the individuals had been brought in from Tanzania, with some reports linking them to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as from Mombasa. He alleged that they were being housed in informal settlements in Maralal.

Lenolkulal claimed the witch doctors had been hired to “blind and confuse supporters,” casting spells to manipulate voters and boost the popularity of his opponents, particularly those seeking to unseat him.

He warned that he would expose the local aspirants for governor and parliamentary seats, whom he accused of orchestrating the scheme, cautioning ominously that such actions could bring a curse upon the community.

In November 30 2021, President William Ruto, while serving as Deputy President, accused some Coastal leaders of practising witchcraft.

Ruto said he had interacted with politicians from the Coast who cross to Tanzania to get “covert powers” from witch doctors.