Growing
desires for land along Kenya’s Indian Ocean coastline are allegedly causing a
rise in ‘witch lynching’ by residents to intimidate their elderly relatives who
own the title deeds of desirable areas.
Sadaka Muruu,
100, who owns 12 acres of
sought-after land in coastal Kilifi county, claimed she was told by her grandchildren that they would burn her alive after investors asked about purchasing it.
sought-after land in coastal Kilifi county, claimed she was told by her grandchildren that they would burn her alive after investors asked about purchasing it.
The
frightened grandmother was allegedly dragged naked from her home in January by
relatives who had turned up without notice, and told neighbours they had caught
her doing witchcraft.
But she was
saved at the last minute by local councilor Teddy Mwambire, who drove her away
to a rescue centre for elderly men and women accused of witchcraft£
Others have
suffered a much-worse fate, with more than 50 people aged over 60 lynched this
year over witchcraft accusations. Seven were killed in Cllr Mwambire’s district
in Kilifi alone this summer.
Cllr
Mwambire led an independent probe into witchcraft and found relatives can
arrange a killing for the equivalent of only £30.
Relatives
are the top suspects in almost all of the killings. But police are struggling
to bring cases to court because they cannot get anybody to give evidence.
Most victims
who escape death and end up at guarded rescue centres are too scared to ever
return home as they risk death if their angry relatives see them again.
Three years
ago uproar was caused after a video emerged on the internet showing five people
burned in the village of Nyamataro, Kisii, in the west of Kenya, over
witchcraft allegations.
Watch Video
Below... Viewer Discretion is strongly Advised!!!
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