Alarm in Murang'a as 2 grannies lynched on witchcraft claims

Two elderly women were on Monday night lynched in Murang'a County on claims they were witches.

Security officers were caught unawares by the 10.30pm incident in Kahuro's Kiamikoe village.

"We are shocked that a crime of this magnitude could be organised and executed after two hours without any of the elaborate grassroots' security network knowing," said Joseph Kamau, a resident.

The two victims’ homes, about 200 metres apart, were raided by about 100 male attackers armed with crude weapons, who then forced them out and led them to a road.

"They were both beaten senseless and when they were unconscious, they set them ablaze," said Mr Peter Mwangi Kibaara, husband of 75-year-old victim Mary Njoki - one of the victims.

Mr Kibaara said Njoki earlier informed him of a rumour about a swoop against witches.

"We laughed it off and said we would wait for the swoop since we have never practised it, hence there was nothing to fear," he said.

He and his wife were relaxing in the kitchen, having tea, when the attackers stormed in.

Mr Kibaara said the group acted on information from a student.

"A Form One student from Kahuro Secondary School testified that she overheard the two women discussing how they would bewitch the village," he said.

The man said he tried in vain to intervene, to save the woman he married in 1973, and with whom he had four children.

"I can swear in the name of God that my wife was not a witch. It beats me that she was accused of such a grave societal evil and then murdered in such a macabre manner,” he said.

"It is a painful image that has come in my twilight years. I am 72 years old and I have never seen such a horrible scene - my wife getting lynched by the age mates of her grandchildren. They first undressed her in public.”

The second victim was 85-year-old Jane Wambui, who was married to one Mr Zawerio Mwangi, but had no children with him.

Mr Mwangi married another woman in 1972 and had nine children with her.

His remaining wife said: "My co-wife could not have been a witch. She would have bewitched me so as not to be married by her husband. She was a nice woman. I do not understand why they murdered her.”

“In all the beatings and the interrogations, no evidence was presented to link the two to any evil. I want justice served. This is not right. A society with such a mentality is dangerous. If getting old means one is a witch, then we have completely lost it.”

Villagers said security should have been tighter in the village as it has suffered under the Mungiki sect for more than 20 years.

It is unfortunate that even security officers have “archaic mindsets”, one said.

Mr James Thuo said "information about such an incident, that took more than two hours, should have reached the government".

Kahuro sub-county deputy county commissioner, Mr Patrick Muli, termed the attack"unacceptable and unforgivable by law".

Mr Muli said the case was handed over to the homicide department of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

He said the matter is being treated as murder as it was justified.

“A society cannot be allowed to adopt the idea that killing, for whatever reason, is sport. We will deliver justice,” he said.

The bodies were taken to Murang'a Level Five Hospital mortuary.

County Commissioner, Mr Karuku Ngumo, ordered area administrators to hold a public baraza on February 22 and educate the people on why mob justice cannot be tolerated.

He said the chief and his assistant will explain how the lawlessness prevailed without their knowledge - whether they had any information and what they did after receiving it.

"It is not acceptable. We have asked the DCI to get us the suspects. It must be made expressly clear that taking the law into your own hands is a grave mistake. Soon we will turn in suspects," he said.

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