Four out of the 16 suspects accused of murdering four elderly women in Nyagonyi Village, Marani, Kisii County on October 17, 2021, have been convicted of murder.
The four convicts include a father and his son. All the suspects faced four counts of murder, but only four were found guilty on the third and fourth counts.
The victims – Sindege Mayaka, Rael Sigara, Agnes Moraa, and Jemimah Nyang’ate – were killed in broad daylight after being accused of witchcraft.
Justice Waweru Kiarie, delivering the judgment virtually, stated, “The evidence presented conclusively proved the four suspects’ guilt on the third and fourth counts of murder.”
The remaining 12 suspects were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
The case will be mentioned on January 22, 2025, to prepare a pre-sentence report before sentencing.
Following the killings, Kisii Governor James Ongwae established a 14-member taskforce to examine the influence of witchcraft beliefs on extrajudicial killings in the county.
The taskforce aimed to explore the prevalence of these beliefs, the security challenges faced by the elderly, and the social factors motivating youth involvement in such crimes.
Although the initiative was launched with hopes of combating these killings, the taskforce’s findings are yet to be made public, raising concerns about its effectiveness and transparency.
