Villagers lynch woman, 60, in family death saga
What you need to know:
- They claimed she had threatened the family with dire consequences for trying to evict her from a disputed piece of land.
- Villagers, armed with clubs, sticks and machetes, stormed the woman’s home at 2am and beat her to death.
- Police said they were pursuing those involved in the lynching terming it unacceptable.
A 60-year-old woman was lynched by villagers in Kibingoti, Kirinyaga County over claims she bewitched four relatives who died in a road crash on Saturday.
The woman, identified as Wakiini Musa was killed on Sunday by the locals, who claimed the fatal crash at Marua on the Nyeri–Karatina road was the work of her magic.
DISPUTE
They claimed she had threatened the family with dire consequences for trying to evict her from a disputed piece of land.
Hours later, the six relatives were involved in the accident that killed three of them on the spot. The fourth succumbed to injuries on Monday while receiving treatment.
Among those who died were two brothers, who were taking their mother to Nyeri County Referral Hospital. The mother also perished in the grisly 1pm accident, involving their vehicle and a truck ferrying soda.
“She was heard telling them that they would start dying one after the other.
“The same day three members of the family died in an accident,” said Mr Joseph Maina, a resident.
MOB
Villagers, armed with clubs, sticks and machetes, stormed the woman’s home at 2am and beat her to death.
“What she said and later the accident killing three on the spot was not taken lightly. It is not easy to lose that many people at one time and it made the villagers very angry. That is why they did what they did,” said Danson Maina.
On Monday, police said they were pursuing those involved in the lynching terming it unacceptable.
“No arrest has been made so far but we will get the culprits. Such actions are unlawful and will not be tolerated,” Kirinyaga West police chief Sicily Gatiti said.
She added: “We condole with the family for their loss but for locals to take such a drastic move to kill an innocent woman is barbaric and unjust. There is no way, even scientifically, to prove she used witchcraft to cause the accident,” she said.
