Age and land tussles may be the reason that for a long time, Gusii region has reported the highest number of people who get lynched due to witchcraft accusations.
The lynching cases have been more on elderly women with Kisii County commissioner Mwangi Chege saying that women from the age of 60, most of them widowed, are at risk of being lynched without proof.
Chege addes that the widow accusation comes from the fact that either the deceased’s husband left a large piece of land or property worth a lot of money which the family members cannot access easily. This leads to the family members resorting to witchcraft allegations to get rid of the widows.
“Land is a sensitive issue in Kisii that it has cost people’s lives. Others are languishing in prison while many more have land cases in court, a process that has taken more than a decade now,” says Chege.
He alleges that even in courts, people carry paraphernalia believed to be used in witchcraft.
Bomatara village in Kisii town cannot be forgotten over the deadly incidence in the year 2010 where a group of youths burnt down five villagers. Four of the victims were women aged over 75 years and a man who was 76 years. They were being accused of making a schoolboy dumb.
Director of the Young Christian Association (YWCA) Kisii Mary Mogaka blames tradition for the disastrous belief.
“Why have elderly ladies been accused of being witches? We have never seen youths being accused but it is the youth who participate in this cruel act,” said Mogaka.
Former Kisii Municipality mayor Samuel Omwando says more has to be done to sensitise people on solving issues amicably. He says introducing guidance and counselling centres may help wipe out the notion of witchcraft.