Podcast Summary: Spooked – Mind Your Own: "The Shadow Side"

Host: Lupita Nyong’o
Release Date: March 24, 2026
Produced by: Snap Studios, KQED, Lemonada Media

Episode Overview

In "The Shadow Side," celebrated actress and storyteller Lupita Nyong’o dives into the hidden world of Kenyan superstition and true crime. The episode first explores a personal anecdote about youthful guilt and then takes a gripping turn into the real-life confessions of John Kibera—Kenya’s most infamous grave robber. Through chilling firsthand accounts, listeners are led into a world where crime, culture, fear, and the supernatural intertwine. The episode asks: what truly constitutes “getting away with it,” and how far can you push the shadow side before it comes back to claim you?

Key Sections & Discussion Points

1. Opening: Cultural Superstitions and Guilt

[02:58 – 12:45]

• Lupita Nyong’o shares a childhood story (set in Kenya) illustrating the intersection of superstition and the psychic burden of guilt.
  • Recounts a belief that if someone jumps over your legs, it can stunt your growth or make you barren, unless undone.
  • A sequence of escalating playground antics leads to her deliberately tripping a boy, causing a serious injury (a broken arm).
  • Lupita is wracked with guilt, fearing exposure, but the boy never recognizes her role, and she’s left to carry her secret alone.
  • Quote: “So what constitutes getting away with it? … If I didn’t tell this story, nobody'd know. But I would.” (Lupita Nyong’o, 12:35)

2. Main Story: The Life of John Kibera, Kenyan Grave Robber

[15:03 – 47:43]

a. From Armed Robbery to Grave Robbing

[16:00 – 19:49]

• John Kibera recounts an early life mired in crime, leading to a turning point after a near-death shootout with police.
• Seeks less violent ways to make money; inspiration strikes at a funeral, noticing the wealth in expensive coffins.
  • Quote: “I really sat down and thought, what kind of crime would not bring me trouble with the police? … How could I steal these coffins?” (John Kibera, 17:17 & 17:52)

b. “Business” Begins: Robbing the Dead

[19:49 – 25:19]

• John assembles a small team, secures a buyer (a coffin dealer), and launches his first grave-robbing heist at Langata Cemetery.
• The wealthy are buried with valuable goods—suits, jewelry, shoes.
  • Quote: “Together with my team, we removed the suit, we removed the shoes, we removed the jewelry, then we dumped the body back...” (John Kibera, 20:39)
• They sell the coffins and valuables for significant profit, using obituaries to target wealthy burials.
  • Expands operations by infiltrating funeral planning meetings in suits to gather intel.

c. An Unlikely Partnership: Margaret Wanjiru Joins

[23:35 – 24:45]

• John’s partner, Margaret, becomes a key team member, skillfully gathering intel during funeral services under the guise of mourning.
  • Quote: “The lady was hardcore.” (John Kibera, 24:45)
• The team grows, their methods get sharper, business booms.

d. Eerie Consequences: Spirits & Superstitions Surface

[25:19 – 29:34]

• A failed robbery in Nyanza triggers tremors and hauntings among the gang; John is plagued by visions of an angered spirit, compelling him to pay restitution.
  • Quote: “When I felt that this dead body, this corpse, was tormenting me, I spoke to one elder ... he told me I had to find 50,000 shillings and go back to that community and ask for forgiveness.” (John Kibera, 29:06)

e. Escalation & Downfall: Greed, Loss, and a Brush with Death

[31:47 – 44:17]

• The team grows reckless, targeting high-profile graves (such as drug lord Ibrahim Akasha).
• A botched heist turns deadly—members are caught and executed by vigilantes. John is wracked by guilt for bringing friends into this tragic fate.
  • Quote: “They had families and I knew their families... I was heartbroken.” (John Kibera, 35:51)
• In financial need, John’s crew pushes him to return to grave robbing.
  • Margaret is asked to quit for her safety, accepting severance to start a business.

f. "Playing Dead": The Notorious Final Heist

[38:12 – 44:17]

• On Boxing Day 2004, a getaway vehicle fails to show. John carjacks a van from a national media company, is trapped inside with a coffin as police attack.
• In a macabre twist, John survives by hiding inside the coffin and “playing dead” convincingly when police open it.
  • Quote: "I lay completely still... trying to put on the look of a dead person." (John Kibera, 42:02)
• When police try to move the "corpse" to the mortuary, John breaks cover, terrifying crowds as the “corpse” is seen running away.
  • Quote: “Can't you see a corpse is running?” (John Kibera, 44:05)

3. Aftermath and Redemption

[44:29 – 47:43]

• John turns himself in, serves six months in prison. His reputation as Kenya’s “most notorious grave robber” follows him everywhere.

• Social stigma isolates him—friends, romantic prospects, and community members avoid him.

  • He donates his ill-gotten gains: his house (to an orphanage), money (to a women's prison).

• Endeavors to turn his life around through church involvement and motivational speaking, warning youth that “crime does not pay.”

• Even as he attempts to start anew, the shadow of his past haunts him—most heartbreakingly, his wedding is called off when his criminal history is exposed in a newspaper on the very day.

  • Quote: “But on the wedding day, the father of the bride came with a newspaper showing me as a criminal. And he said he cannot allow his daughter to marry a criminal. So he took her away when she was still in her wedding dress.” (John Kibera, 46:51)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Witchcraft and caution: “In my family ... the Lord is our shepherd ... but also, watch out for that dude, watch out for that corner. Just err on the side of caution.” (Lupita, 03:10)
• First grave robbery: "He had on a suit, a golden ring chain, good shoes. I was ecstatic." (John Kibera, 20:07)
• Supernatural fear: "We all started trembling and we couldn't do it. And this is the first time I started suspecting that corpses could have evil spirits." (John Kibera, 25:30)
• Playing dead in a coffin: "I stiffened my body and opened my eyes wide and fixed them... I played dead as best as I could." (John Kibera, 42:02)
• Losing love to past crimes: “He said he cannot allow his daughter to marry a criminal. So he took her away when she was still in her wedding dress.” (John Kibera, 46:51)

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|----------------------------------------------| | 02:58-12:45 | Lupita's tale of superstition & guilt | | 15:03-19:49 | John Kibera's switch from armed to grave robbery | | 19:49-25:19 | Anatomy of a grave robbery heist | | 23:35-24:45 | Margaret Wanjiru joins the operation | | 25:19-29:34 | Spirits, visions, and seeking forgiveness | | 31:47-38:12 | Team ambitions, high-stakes heist, team tragedy | | 38:12-44:17 | The final heist—“playing dead” in a coffin | | 44:29-47:43 | Prison, ostracism, redemption, lost love |

Tone & Style Highlights

• Lupita’s narration is both honest and reflective, blending humor, introspection, and cultural insight.
• John Kibera’s storytelling is disarmingly candid—grim, humorous, and philosophical about crime, consequence, superstition, and fate.
• The episode moves from the mundane and relatable to the outrageous and supernatural, maintaining a suspenseful, immersive storytelling style.

Closing Reflection

"The Shadow Side" is a deeply engaging exploration of the boundaries between guilt, fate, and forgiveness. Through Lupita’s personal confessions and John Kibera’s shocking life story, listeners confront the haunting weight of secrets, the moral consequences of “getting away with it,” and the possibility (or impossibility) of redemption. The episode blends personal regret with true crime and supernatural folklore, ultimately warning: the shadow side always follows.