A bizarre incident at the Malenya border point near Busia town caused panic on Monday evening when a pastor was apprehended trying to cross into Uganda with a live cobra hidden in his luggage.
The man, identified as 26-year-old Fanish Ramsey Maloba, a preacher based in Matayos trading center, was stopped by border patrol officers around 6 p.m. during a routine inspection. Officers were left stunned when they unzipped a large bag and discovered a coiled black and brown cobra inside.
Eyewitnesses described the commotion that followed, noting that some officers initially recoiled in fear and temporarily abandoned their post. “They dropped the bag immediately and backed away. For a moment, they looked genuinely scared,” one bystander recalled. The situation was soon brought under control after the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) was called in to handle the reptile.
During police questioning, Maloba claimed divine inspiration led him to the snake, which he said he found at a rural homestead. He explained that he intended to use the serpent in a spiritual exercise aimed at breaking spells and combating witchcraft. According to him, the plan was to pray over the snake at his church in Matayos after finishing a spiritual mission in Uganda.
Maloba is currently detained at the Busia Police Station. Authorities have launched an investigation and indicated that the pastor may face charges for illegally possessing and transporting a protected animal species.
