This archive report was first published on 26 October 2021.
Published on October 26, 2021, Kisii County Governor James Ongwae has taken a bold step to address the witchcraft myths that have led to the deaths of several senior citizens in the county.
Following recent killings in Marani Sub-county, Governor Ongwae has appointed a 14-member task force to investigate the root cause of the problem and find a lasting solution.
The task force, which includes county staff and key stakeholders from the public and human rights organizations, has been given three weeks to prepare a final report on the extent of the problem.
According to Governor Ongwae, the killings are a result of mythical beliefs based on witchcraft that have been perpetuated in the community for far too long.
“We grew up hearing fairy tales on witchcraft but not once in our life-times we ever came across witches or witchcraft. Scapegoats based on suspicion where particularly the elderly members of society are being branded witches and eliminated has, unfortunately, become the trend,” he said.
He added that there are legal mechanisms of dealing with suspects of any nature, and that the county government will not tolerate mob justice on flimsy grounds of suspicion.
“Indeed, there is no reason whatsoever to lose precious lives due to mob justice on flimsy grounds of suspicion on alleged witchcraft. The women who died in a shameful manner, in the hands of fellow villagers, deserved justice,” he said.
Deputy Governor Joash Maangi also condemned the killings, saying that there are better ways of dealing with such issues and that the community should learn to live cohesively with one another.
The county government has also announced that the bereaved families of the four elderly women who were lynched in Bomokona village will each receive Sh 100,000 for funeral arrangements.
The county government will also cater for the postmortem examination costs.
