KISII, Kenya, Jan 22 — A court sitting in Kisii on Wednesday convicted four suspects for lynching four elderly women accused of witchcraft in Nyagonyi village, Marani Sub-County, in 2021.
In his judgment, Justice Waweru Kiarie found four out of sixteen suspects guilty of killing the elderly women, contrary to Sections 202 and 203 of the Penal Code.
The victims—Sindege Mayaka, Jemima Nyanga’te, Sindege Nyakwara, and Agnes Ototo—aged 80 and above, were brutally beaten, dragged, and lynched for allegedly bewitching a Form Four student.
The sixteen suspects were arrested and charged with the murder of the four women on October 17, 2021. They pleaded not guilty and had been held in custody since their arrest.
The court found Amos Nyakundi, Chrispine Ogeto, Brian Nyakundi, and Evans Ogeto guilty of committing the offense, while acquitting the remaining 12 suspects due to insufficient evidence.
Witnesses testified that the first accused, Amos Nyakundi, stripped Agnes Ototo naked, dragged her to the main road, and threw her into the fire.
Another witness recounted that Nyakundi lit the fire and placed motorcycle tires around the victim’s waist.
‘Bewitched overnight’
A family member of one of the victims testified that the offenders stormed their home, dragged their elderly mother outside, and beheaded her with a machete while accusing her of bewitching a village boy.
A witness stated that Chrispine Ogeto had claimed he was bewitched overnight and could not speak in the morning.
His father, Evans Ogeto, raised the alarm, summoning villagers to confront the alleged witch. When Jemima Nyanga’te’s turn came, Chrispine tightly held her hand and began beating her.
The judge noted that multiple witnesses linked the four accused to the killings. Although the accused were placed on defense, they did not call any witnesses.
Justice Kiarie sentenced the four convicts to 40 years in prison for their heinous acts, emphasizing the need to deter such brutal incidents in the future.
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