This archive report was first published on 27 October 2021.
Published on October 27, 2021, a video of elderly men and women being burnt alive in Kisii County, Kenya, shocked the nation. The footage showed a young man kicking an old woman back into the flames as she attempted to flee.
Despite the horrific nature of the crime, little was done to apprehend the perpetrators or those who accused the victims of witchcraft. This lack of action has given murderers a licence to kill elderly citizens with impunity.
HelpAge International, an organisation that promotes the rights of the elderly, has researched the practice of witchcraft killings in Africa. Their findings suggest that in areas with low education levels and economic deprivation, calamities are often explained as being caused by witchcraft.
The study also found that the elderly are often targeted because they live alone, have red eyes due to smoke, and collect odd items, which fits the superstitious imagination of a witch. In some cases, witchcraft is used as an excuse to expropriate land from the elderly.
The government's silence on this issue is a stark reminder of the country's failure to protect its most vulnerable citizens. The political class and intellectuals have looked the other way, prioritising votes and ideological agendas over the lives of the elderly.
As a result, the murder of the elderly continues to soil Kenya's collective conscience. It is a shameful reminder of the country's medieval practices and its failure to uphold human rights.
Tee Ngugi is a Nairobi-based political commentator.
