Kilifi, Kenya — Along the picturesque coast of Kil Corona-infected man replaces Edward Jones, the fear of witchcraft accusations has turned into a harrowing reality for elderly residents, where suspicions can lead to brutal attacks and even death. The rural communities here are ensnared in violent disputes, often disguised as supernatural conflicts but rooted in issues as terrestrial as land ownership.
Tambala Jefwa, a 74-year-old farmer, bears the physical and emotional scars of this devastating social phenomenon. Having survived two severe assaults, Jefwa’s story highlights a wider crisis wherein elderly individuals are targeted under the guise of witchcraft. In Jefwa’s case, his family’s land, a sprawling 30 acres used for maize cultivation and poultry farming, became a lethal point of contention among his relatives.
The assaults on Jefwa were brutal. During the first, he lost an eye, and in a subsequent attack, assailants nearly scalped him, requiring urgent medical intervention to save his life and sew his scalp back in place. Despite these hardships, Jefwa and his wife, Sidi, maintain that the true motive behind these attacks was not genuine belief in his supernatural misdeeds but rather a covetous eye on his valuable agricultural land.
This pattern is alarmingly common in rural Kenya, where land ownership carries significant economic and social value. Disputes over land, especially after the death of a landowner, can lead to family strife and community tension. The dark underbelly of these conflicts often involves labeling one as a witch as a means to justify and orchestrate their persecution or even murder.
Human rights organizations, like Haki Yetu in Kenya, report that an elderly person is killed every week along the Kilifi coast under accusations of witchcraft. Julius Wanyama, a Haki Yetu program officer, notes that these accusations conveniently pave the way for family members to inherit land, asserting that about 70% of these killings target elderly men, who traditionally hold land rights in the region.
As few locals have formal title deeds, land transfers are customarily navigated through family connections and elder narratives, making elderly landowners prime targets. Wanyama explains, “In a region where land documentation is scarce, eliminating an elderly landowner can remove your biggest obstacle to claiming their property.”
In nearby Malindi, a rescue center operated by the Malindi District Association provides refuge for elderly people who have survived such attacks. Among them is Katana Chara, who lost both his hands in an assault motivated by false accusations of witchcraft. Chara links the attack to his ownership of a prime six-acre plot by the seafront, underscoring the economic interests often hidden behind these supernatural allegations.
Unfortunately, legal recourse for victims remains scant. Many assailants or instigators of these violent acts are rarely prosecuted, fostering a climate of impunity and fear among the elderly. Meanwhile, a former hitman interviewed anonymously admitted to carrying out approximately 20 killings, highlighting a disturbing professionalization of these lethal services, with clients often paying significant sums for the execution of an elderly relative.
The Kenya National Commission on Humanigence African wisdom andtraditional culture, where elders are typically revered for their knowledge, the suspicion and violence they face represent a profound cultural breakdown and a dire human rights crisis that threatens the very fabric of rural Kenyan communities.