KISII, Kenya, Sep 21 – Sarah Moraa recalls horrifying scenes on the night of 4th September when she was beaten and tied alongside her daughter before they forced to stand on the fresh grave as people took photos while tormenting them for allegedly being witches.
Moraa narrated how she received a distressing call from her father in-law at around midnight while she was a sleep with her husband that her mentally challenged daughter was caught in a funeral night vigil practicing witchcraft.
Together with her father in-law who stays around 100 meters from where her house, they responded immediately rushing to the said funeral whereby a clergy had been buried the previous day.
“On arrival, people came nowhere and picked me from the middle of my husband and my father in-law took a rope and tied me with my helpless daughter who was sited next to the graveyard,” she stated.
“They forced as to stand on the fresh grave as they took photos of us, celebrated and disparaged us as witches, some even posted the photos on social media as they shouted, they wanted people to see the witches.”
She explained that “It did not end here; they lit fire and dragged us into it with the intentions to lynch my daughter and I for practicing witchcraft.”
“My husband and my father in-law were helplessness, they didn’t know what to do since the whole crowd was against us, I was only saying a silent prayer asking God to rescue us we were only persecuted,” she stated.
“From nowhere an elderly man step forward and ordered for our release or else they kill him first before killing us, the crowd went silent for minutes before they untied us and alerted the police who came for our arrest.”
Moraa and her daughter spent the night in the police cells till midday when they were released unconditionally the following day.
They went to the hospital where they were treated and discharged from the burns they incurred.
According to Moraa, she went to fetch her mentally challenged daughter who had gone with her friends to this funeral during the day but they abandoned her there.
Moraa says she finds it difficult walking around the village as the is the talk and no one wants to associate with her.
This has left her thinking on what to do but instead stays within her compound.
“Am not a witch neither my daughter, I don’t know what is witchcraft they were only persecuting us,” Moraa.
Moraa reveals the inner conflict is to kick her out of her home because her child was mentally challenged and for them it’s like a curse.
Murder and barbaric persecution of women over Witcraft allegations are on the increase in the kisii and some parts of the coastal region in kenya such as Kilifi and Kwale.
Mostly witchcraft allegations are sanctioned by family members who want to benefit from the victims’ properties such as land.
Police investigations
Kisii County Police Commander Dr.Musyko Mutungi said from the investigations the woman had gone to pick her daughter and they were accused to have been witched the deceased.
“From our investigations, the young girl who is mentally challenged was left by her friends in this homestead and she could not tress her way home and she stayed till late hours,” said Dr. Mutungi.
He noted they had to rescue the duo and temporally detain them because the public was thrust for their blood.
Mutungi cautioned the public from taking the law into their arms because if you are identified positively, you will face law.
On 17th October last year, four elderly Women were brutally murdered over witchcraft allegations in Kisii county.
The four; Sindege Mayaka, Jemimah Nyan’ate, Sigara Onkware and Agnes Ototo were lynched for allegedly bewitching a form four student in Marani,Kisii.
Eleven suspects were arrested and taken to court for murder charges of the four elderly women. They were dined bond terms and looked up at Kisii main prisons as the case proceeds in court.
According to Kenya National Commission on Human Rights,100 women are killed annually in Kenya over suspected witchcraft.
KNCHR excursive officer Dr. Benard Mogesa said they receive up to four cases of killings of the elderly women for suspected witchcraft per month.
“elderly women aged above 65 years are prone to the suspected witchcraft killing and persecution in the three counties,” Said Dr.Mogesa.
The commission held public participation in these hotspot areas to educate the public on the importance of right to life.
The commission has also engaged other state bodies in ensuring the killings of people over suspected witchcraft is eliminated.
The Abagusii council of elders have condemned the killing and persecution of women over suspected witchcraft saying those doing it are driven by evil minds.
The chairman of the Abagusii council of Elders James Matundura says, use of alcohol and drug abuse, poverty are the main drive to the killing of women in this community.
“We have found out mostly the youth and middle-aged people are taking part in these killings,” said Matundura.
Among those facing murder charges for the killings of four elderly women in Marani, include a 17-year-old boy,22 and 26 years old men.
In Kilifi a non-state agency has rolled out measures through the reinvent program to curb the killings of people over suspected witchcraft.
The program uses innovative approach for the community policing and SEMA an accountability forum. this brings the community and the police to engage on security issues affecting the people.
The law and witchcraft.
High court Advocate George Morara said witchcraft act was enacted in 1981 and revised in 2012 was put in place to address the issue of practice and offence of the Witcraft.
Morara said ACT 27 of the 2010 constitution of kenya highlights on equity and freedom of discrimination, which express on rights and fundamental freedoms.
“There is no credibility in any single incident where older person was lynched and attacked by people purporting to root or stamp out Witcraft, many cases have been incidents of revenge and settling scores of other issues such as family disputes,” said Morara.
There should be respect for the rule of law and administration to justice, if anyone is accused of witchcraft let them be subjected to the laws of the land.
“Deciding to lynch to harm and maim and injure a person in the name of witchcraft is not acceptable,” said Morara.
Dr Kerubo Abuya Human Right activist representing Utu civil society said everyone is entitled to right to life and nobody has a right to take away from anybody.
She said the UTU comprises of activists in Kisii,Kilifi and Kwale to sensitize the communities on the importance of life and not kill people in the name of witchcraft.
“This is something concerning all of us, the youth, women, and even children are participating in the killing of the elderly women in the community,” said Dr Kerubo.
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