A 77-year-old woman from Runyenjes, Embu County was beaten to death by an irate mob over allegations of indulging in witchcraft.
Alice Kaguna’s lifeless body was found dumped by the roadside on the morning of Tuesday, February 21 at Gatumba market, a few meters from her home.
According to a police report seen by The Kenya Times, Kaguna is said to have been beaten to death after she was found burning her underwear outside a Neighbours gate early in the morning.
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Confirming the incident, Embu East Police Commander Emmanuel Okanda said Kaguna’s Neighbour identified as Daniel Mwaniki was roused by his wife at around 3am after she heard a commotion at their gate.
Upon going out to investigate what was going on, Mwaniki said he found a group of people arguing with the elderly woman, adding that she further burned his hand with hot water.
“I was astonished when I went out only to find my neighbor burning her underwear outside my gate…she splashed hot water on my right hand, leaving me with a huge burn,” Mwaniki said.
He further said that he went to report the matter to the police station only for him to get back and find that the woman had been killed over allegations of practicing witchcraft.
Police officers investigating the case have condemned the brutal act and called on locals to offer any information that will lead enable them to establish the root cause of the problem.
A section of locals told the law enforcement officers that the deceased and her neighbors had differences over the boundary of their land which might have escalated.
Kaguna’s body was taken to Kyeni mission hospital mortuary as investigations into her death proceed.