While one would expect job search as the only reason behind an influx of people in Kenya's urban areas, the problem also lies in the fear of witchdoctors among Kenyan communities.

In an age where modern lifestyle has been adopted by virtually everyone in the village, it is surprising that black magic is still regarded to hold sway in an individual’s life.  

As a result, cases of alleged magicians and their accomplices being lynched have earned prominence among virtually all the Kenyan communities.

A female student at a local university who spoke on condition of anonymity says that during holidays she prefers to stay on compass because the moment she steps in the village, jealous family members would visit witchdoctors to cast a spell on her to discontinue her education.

“I have no close relative in urban areas and at the same time cannot go back to the village when the semester closes because of witchcraft and the night wizards there."

"I will be no more if that happens” she says, claiming that one of her uncles passed on after building a house in the village.

Such tales are not only limited to the youth, but also to their parents and grandparents.  

80 year old Mama Teresia Kwamboka (not her real name) has lived in a shanty in the sprawling Kibera slums in Nairobi since 1970.

She has children and grandchildren, but the funny side is they have never visited their Kisii community.

Kwamboka admits that she will not go back to the village any time soon because that will mean that her sons and grandchildren will be bewitched.

According to her, when you move to an urban area far from your community, then the magical spell cannot catch up with you.

Justin Ajwang’ says that since he finished his degree, his life has revolved around pacing from office to office and visiting the Public Service Commission of Kenya in Nairobi for any advertisement.

He says he has a large parcel of land left for after his father died eight years ago, but cannot go back to develop it for fear of being bewitched.  

He narrates that life has been hard and he sometimes does not know where the next meal will come from.

In many Nairobi slums, landlords have persistently complained of tenants who are unable to pay rent, and the blame seems to be on these young, and some old Kenyans who have nothing meaningful to do in the urban areas.

Kenya’s economy heavily depends on agriculture, and there is a shortage of man power as most of these farms are situated upcountry which many a youth shun due to fear of the black magic.

The situation has caused the country a lot.

During the last general elections, violence was concentrated in urban areas as the leading contenders took advantage of the loafing youths to cause instability.

They uprooted railways, hacked perceived enemies, pelted stones and engaged in massive looting.

As for now, many are willing to go back to the villages to engage in nation-building initiatives, but shudder on thinking of a witchdoctor next door or a jealous family member.

This does not auger well for economic development.