Ugandans charged in Kenya over witchcraft spectacle

Two Ugandan men have been charged in a court in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa for being in possession of a snake without a valid licence, and for operating a business without necessary documentation from the Kenyan wildfire authorities, the Daily Monitor reports.

Yassin Lokorobe and Ronald Nganga are said to be part of a gang of five who stage-managed a supposed display of witchcraft in the city on Wednesday.

In the incident, which drew a lot of attention, two Kenyan men pretended to be possessed by a spell after they allegedly stole a car from a man who had consulted a witch doctor to catch the alleged thieves.

The duo, who the court ordered to undergo psychiatric testing, danced and drank their own urine while performing several other bizarre acts for close to an hour, the Monitor reports.

Lokorobe and Nganga then appeared at the scene, posing as witchdoctors to exorcise the two men.

Police say that the whole spectacle was a ploy to "boost their sorcery business".

The prosecution told the court they had more evidence from CCTV cameras at the scene, which they say gives proof that the event was stage-managed.

The story was widely shared on social media: