John Kibera is a Kenyan man who became notorious in the 1990s early 2000s as one of Kenya’s most infamous criminals, particularly as a prolific grave robber.
He later reformed, became a street preacher and now shares his story as a cautionary tale against crime.
He was born into a troubled family, his parents separated when he was young. His mother remarried and moved, and his stepfather mistreated him, denying him education.
Why He Never Stole Luo Coffins
According to Kibera himself in a 2018 Radio Maisha interview, he and his gang avoided coffins of Luos and sometimes related communities like Luhyas and Kisiis after a terrifying supernatural incident.
During an attempted robbery in Migori County a Luo-heavy area in western Kenya they hijacked a vehicle transporting a body. When trying to handle the coffin, Kibera’s hands got stuck to it described as smeared with “black powers” or magic. It only released when the coffin fell to the ground. This scared them off, and he developed respect for these communities afterward, choosing to watch from afar rather than risk it again.
His story has been covered extensively in Kenyan media (e.g., The Standard), YouTube documentaries, and interviews, highlighting themes of redemption, the dangers of crime, and personal transformation.
Kibera’s life exemplifies a dramatic turnaround from a cycle of crime rooted in hardship to one of advocacy and faith.