Thomas Muthee - Mama Jane

Mama Jane

Muthee and his wife returned home to Kenya from Scotland, where he had finished his graduate studies, in 1988. They soon felt that they were "called by God to Kiambu" and after six months of prayer, research, and "spiritual mapping," they came to believe that a woman known as "Mama Jane" was a witch, and thereby caused traffic fatalities, traffic accidents, crime, and spiritual oppression in the area. Muthee alleged that "top government and business leaders afraid to do anything without her approval," that at least one person per month would die in a car accident in front of her "divination house" and that she weekly "went to Thomas' church site, performed magic, and cast her spells and curses." Muthee publicly declared, “Mama Jane either gets saved and serves the Lord, or she leaves town! There is no longer room in Kiambu for both of us!" Soon after his followers began to pray that God would either save or oust Mama Jane, three young people died in another apparent accident in front of Mama Jane's house, according to Muthee's account. Angry townsfolk wanted to stone Mama Jane in retaliation for the traffic accidents. When the police entered Mama Jane's home to intervene, they were allegedly startled by what they believed to be a demon and shot her pet python to death. Mama Jane was then questioned by police, after which she left town, according to some accounts.

Muthee has frequently referred to the Mama Jane event as an example of successful “spiritual mapping," which includes locating specific witches by research and prayer, and spiritual warfare, claiming that crime and traffic accidents were reduced as a result of chasing Mama Jane out of town. Others have referred to the event as an example of the power of prayer. The event was depicted in two videos by George Otis, Jr., in which Muthee claimed that the crime and traffic accident rate in Kiambu dropped drastically after Mama Jane left, and that he is responsible for positive social change in the town.

Workgroup "Back to the Bible," headed by Pastor Rien van de Kraats of Kamperland, Netherlands, found no police reports or any other sources that backed up Muthee’s claims. Investigators have asserted that "Mama Jane" is Jane Njenga, a local pastor who never left Kiambu.