Four men found guilty of killing elderly women over witchcraft claims
A man, his son and two others found guilty of murdering four elderly women in the Marani area over claims of witchcraft.
What you need to know:
- Sixteen suspects had been arraigned in connection with the killings, but 12 were acquitted for various reasons including lack of sufficient evidence.
- The court’s judgment has rekindled hope among the victims’ relatives that justice will finally be served.
A court in Kisii has found a man, his son and two others guilty of killingfour elderly women in the Marani area over claims of witchcraft.
In a virtual judgment delivered on Thursday morning, Justice Waweru Kiarie said witnesses who testified during the hearing of the case placed Evans Ogeto Okari, his son Chrispine Makworo, Amos Nyakundi Ondieki alias Sonko and Hesborn Ong’ondi Gichana at the scene of the barbaric killings.
The four will now be sentenced on January 22, 2025 after they were found culpable of murdering Jemima Miranga (60), Agnes Ototo (57), Sigara Onkware (62), and Sindege Mayaka (85) in October 2022.
The women were accused of bewitching a Form Four candidate by making him dumb.
Justice Kiarie described the attack on the four elderly women as brutal and one that should not be meted out to any human being.
He added that the four should be given appropriate sentences as prescribed by law, to serve as a deterrent to other Kenyans.
“Witness PW3, for instance, said Jemima was dragged and taken to a fire. Ong’ondi and Sonko carried her up while holding her hands and legs. They took her to the road and placed a car tyre on her neck. They brought a mattress from her home. Ong’ondi brought some petrol, poured it [on her] and lit the fire,” Justice Kiarie said.
Delivering his judgment as the family members of the slain women and human rights activists listened intently, Justice Kiarie said he was convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the four were involved in the heinous murders.
“When two or more persons form a common intention to prosecute an unlawful purpose in conjunction with one another, and in the prosecution of such purpose an offence is committed of such a nature that its commission was a probable consequence of the prosecution of such purpose, each of them is deemed to have committed the offence,” Justice Kiarie added.
Sixteen suspects had been arraigned in connection with the killings, but 12 were acquitted for various reasons including lack of sufficient evidence.
The court’s judgment has rekindled hope among the victims’ relatives that justice will finally be served.
Christopher Mayaka, one of Sindege Mayaka’s children, welcomed Justice Kiarie’s judgment and said his mother’s soul will finally rest in peace.
“We are satisfied with the judgment and we will follow what the judge will tell us. My mother’s soul can now rest in peace. I appeal to those who have been released that once they come back to the village, let us all live in peace and harmony and take our country forward,” Mr Mayaka said.
His sentiments were echoed by Ms Hellen Kiriama, a human rights activist from South Mugirango Constituency.
“We thank the court for the ruling. We ask our people of Marani to accept those who were not found guilty of the charges. Let them embrace them and not harm them,” she said.
