Elderly woman hacked to death over witchcraft

An elderly woman was hacked to death at Bale village in Ganze sub-county on suspicion of practising witchcraft.

The assailant brutally killed Ms Choni Kazungu Barawa, 93, in her house on Thursday night.

Dida Sub-location Assistant Chief Joshua Mwanyule said her body, with deep head cuts, was found in a pool of blood in bed, covered with a bed sheet.

“The woman was living alone in her house within a family compound. The assailant gained entry into her one-bedroom house by removing the mud from the wall, opening the door lock, and hacking her to death using an axe,” he said.

A family member said that the deceased had supper at her son’s house within the same compound and left to sleep in her house alone at around 10 pm on Thursday.

However, when her daughter-in-law found her unresponsive on Thursday morning, and upon uncovering her, she found her in a pool of blood.

The chief said the police recovered an axe suspected to be the murder tool.

He said the police investigations indicate that the deceased had been accused of witchcraft following the death of her neighbour's son in a motorcycle accident last year.

Police have arrested a 50-year-old woman, Nzingo Kazungu, as the murder suspect. A police report indicates that the axe that was used as a murder weapon belonged to the suspect.

“She has been having differences with the deceased since her son died in 2024 in a motorcycle accident, alleging that the deceased was a witch. She has been placed in custody at Bamba Police Station awaiting arraignment before the court,”' said the area assistant chief.

The body of the deceased has been moved to the Kilifi County Referral Hospital mortuary pending an autopsy.

Belief in witchcraft and superstition has left many dead and others with lifelong disabilities in Kilifi following attacks by hired gangs.

Director of the Institute for Participatory Development, Mr Mzungu Ngoma, who deals with cases of killing of the elderly, said witchcraft belief remains deeply rooted within the community, leading to the deadly attacks.

“Every ailment, death, misfortune, or trouble is blamed on sorcery. Some say even success here is attributed to witchcraft,” he stated.

He noted that the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators has been slow and ineffective, with the majority of cases remaining unresolved, partly due to the non-cooperation of community members and police laxity.

A report by the National Crime Research Centre found that 58.2 per cent of Kilifi and Kwale residents were aware of murder cases in their neighbourhoods, with a significant portion involving older individuals accused of witchcraft.

The Haki Yetu Organisation survey revealed that at least 89 older people have been murdered in Kilifi and Kwale counties between 2023 and 2025, with the attacks often linked to witchcraft accusations.