It all started on Wednesday (14 March 2007) this week, with a form two student at Kibarani secondary school in the plush Vipingo area in Mombasa screaming and yelling that she wanted human blood. When three bulls were slaughtered under the supervision of Mombasa mayor, Mr Ali Shekue, the 50 "possessed" girls smiled, became gentle and regained composure.

The incident triggered regional inter-denominational prayers even as medical personnel from Kenya Airports Authority led by a Dr Okwera and the school head teacher, Mrs Mary Mwasaro, dismissed the matter as mass hysteria. But nobody wanted to take any risks with the angry creatures. The school, which has 750 pupils was closed indefinitely.

Prayers were held on Thursday for Mbaraki Secondary and Primary schools following what was believed to be a "ghost" invasion.

Students assisted by a Good Samaritan carry one of their affected colleagues. About 50 students and pupils at Mbaraki Girls secondary and primary schools in Mombasa were affected by what was believed to be supernatural powers.

The prayer session came to a standstill after an old man shouted and collapsed. He was reportedly possessed by "spirits" just like the schoolgirls.

Minutes before the incident, the man had disrupted the Islamic prayers, led by Ustadh Abdulrahman Ali Ahmed, saying he was angered by the sitting arrangement where men and women were mixed up.

Ahmed calmed the man through prayers before he was whisked away by a relative.

But more drama followed an hour later when a hen flew over the crowd of schoolchildren, causing a commotion.

Ghosts demand more offerings

Both Christian and Muslim leaders used the emotional occasion to condemn those who resorted to bloody sacrifices to cleanse the schools of jinnis saying this encouraged the ghosts to return and demand more offerings.

Ustadh Ahmed from Tawbat mosque in Kisauni, who said he has been flushing out jinnis since 1999, advised residents to pray instead of slaughtering animals. "If you give the ghosts blood they will come in droves and demand more. It was wrong to slaughter goats at the school compound," he said.

He said jinnis usually invaded abandoned buildings and advised parents and teachers to call for regular prayers in schools especially during opening days.

Bishop Paul Mlingwa Simbeye from Abundant Grace Church in Dar es Salaam, who led Christian prayers, also said blood offerings attracted more ghosts and should be discouraged.

Bishop Simbeye came all the way from Dar es Salaam to say special prayers at the schools on the invitation of some parents.

"Parents should refuse to give blood sacrifice and should depend on God. We are ready to perform prayers upon invitation and that is why I am here," he said, adding that he regularly conducted such prayers back home.

Girl overpowered six men

Journalists who witnessed the incident said that the girl, 14, produced a voice like an adult and overpowered six well-built men who tried to restrain her.

The incident then spread to the rest of the school including the primary section.

The Saturday Standard sought to establish what jinnis really are and the myths and beliefs surrounding the much-feared creatures.

There are hundreds of houses in Mombasa that remain vacant year in and year out because locals believe that they are possessed by jinnis.

Landlords fearfully narrate how their former tenants underwent torture at the hands of jinnis. The jinnis, they allege, carry people to their farms at night when they are asleep and make them dig on their farms until morning.

That, it is believed, is why tenants who live in possessed houses wake up feeling very tired.

The issue of jinnis invading a school in Mombasa raises questions on the famous but largely unknown creatures. A resident, Mr Kareem Makbul, 57, said the place might have had some jinnis who were on the loose and had no one to control them.

Another resident, who is a Muslim, said God created some Jinnis. Some are good and some are bad.

Area notorious for accidents

Goats donated by Mombasa mayor Sheriff Shekue at Baraki Secondary School are slaughtered to appease the gods. Pictures by Andrew Kilonzi

One theory is that the elders of the area may have forgotten about the jinnis. The jinnis of Kibarani are said to have been patient for too long. That was when they turned wild and had to pass a message through the students.

People who understand the place know that they need blood and bulls must be slaughtered.

Local residents explain that Kibarani Highway has been notorious for accidents and four years ago, they slaughtered some bulls to appease the jinnis. The accidents are said to have stopped.

Around the Old Town, sacrifices are made every year at the Allidina grounds. Areas like Kibarani may have been forgotten.

But one elder said the slaughtering of goats though not ideal was an immediate solution to the problem.

Another elder, Mr Kassim Mohammed, said there are special Islamic prayers that control jinnis.

Useful jinnis

According to the Quran, he says, God created the jinnis. "They are spirits. They exist. They live. They die. There are good ones and bad ones.

There are people who own jinnis and God has given them the power to control them. The jinnis can help one get money and protects families. That is why people in Mombasa have so much money that some do not know what to do with it," Mohammed said.

Jinnis are also acquired to protect one's job and to make the boss favour one above other colleagues.

Mohamed explained that if one accepts to work with the jinnis, one must follow certain conditions.

Every year, one has to slaughter a goat or a bull. The jinnis are kept in a sealed bottle full of sea water.

One can bury it in one's compound, under the office floor or somewhere very secretive.

"One cannot even inform the spouse or one's children," said Mohamed.

In the jinni world if a keeper is involved in a fatal accident and nobody in the family knew about the jinni, after three or four years the jinni will realise that its demands are not being met.

That is when mysterious accidents happen. A child walking innocently on the pavement can suddenly be hit by a car from across the road. Blood must flow in such situations.

The expert will hold the jinni and appease it.

Again if one has an accident but survives, yet he had gotten so rich that he forgot to sacrifice to the jinnis, they normally turns their wrath on close relatives.

Jinnis are male and female have names. One can own one to three jinnis.

Bakresh Ali, 40, said that In the Quran God says: "I did not create the jinnis and mankind except to abide by my laws.

The jinnis have to pray to God and follow spiritual commands adhering to the laws of Islam.

Just like mankind has good and bad people the same applies to jinnis.

Bakresh explained that according to their deeds, the jinnis would face judgement during the last day.

Jinnis cannot be seen physically because they are spiritual beings - only their voices or actions indicate their presence.

People who are harassed by their friends and neighbours can acquire jinnis and send them to the enemy to slap them, pinch them, make them uncomfortable and torment them in other ways.

They are associated with black cats who allegedly produce human voices and make demands. "The jinni victim may experience terrible dreams that will not allow them to sleep or mental instability. A lot of people who own jinnis are also highly religious," explained Bakresh. Upcountry people who come to Mombasa are afraid because they do not understand them, he said.

The article above was found on Google and was published originally on allAfrica.com