38-year -old woman living in fear over witchcraft accusation

Twenty-three years ago, Jackline Riziki moved from her home village in Mkoroshoni in Kilifi North Sub-county and settled in Ganze town to start a new life as a businesswoman. 

What was not clear to the mother of three boys, however, is that the community that warmly welcomed her would one day turn against her and brand her a witch.

Currently, she lives in shame and has been forced to persevere the misery of being perceived an outcast in the community. 

Ms Riziki says it all started three years ago after the death of her neighbour, a woman who had hanged herself. The reason for the suicide was unknown. 

“This woman was my next door neighbour and her death shocked everyone; after a while, however, her family accused me of imposing an evil spirit on her, leading to her suicide; the news spread in the entire town,” she says. 

An officer from the Ganze DCI office later alerted Ms Riziki that a boda boda group, led by some young men from the deceased’s family, planned to kill her.

“Everybody in Ganze town had been told that I am a witch and were aware of the plan to execute me, but no one told me until a police officer from Ganze tipped me of the plans and asked me to run for my life. He said they were investigating the allegations, but it was safe for me to move out of Ganze until they arrest the suspects,” says Ms Riziki. 

Ageing parents

The young men were boda boda operators in Ganze town. 

The 38-year-old says the officer saved her life. She then sought refuge at her parents’ home in Mkoroshini where she stayed for more than five months. 

Life was not easy for the single mother of three, who also takes care of her ageing parents; she had been to shut down her hotel business, which was booming by then. 

She reported the matter at Bamba Police Station on OB14/16/2/2017. 

Seven boys from the deceased’s family were summoned at the police station and interrogated in her presence; three of them were arrested. 

“Police officers said the three were the main suspects and that they would be charged in court; however after two days, the same officers summoned me to the station where they released the suspects, after warning them that they would be the first to be arrested should anything happen to me,” she says. 

Apart from living in fear of being killed, the witchcraft allegations affected her business. She lost all her local customers and relied on those from outside Ganze. 

“No one will want to eat food prepared by a witch. I used to slaughter one goat and it would be finished in two days but today, I cannot even sell even a kilo. I had employed six workers but now I have only one because I could not afford to pay them,” laments Ms Riziki. 

Rental houses

Her 12-rooms rental houses are now vacant with only two tenants. 

Last year, a neighbour approached her new tenant, a female teacher who was less than two days old, and told her that the landlady is a witch. She moved out immediately. 

Ms Riziki reported the matter at Ganze Police Station OB26/23/04/2019. 

She once again received death threats from another group of boda boda youth who claimed she was behind the death of a young man, a barber in Ganze town, who died on his way to Kilifi County Hospital. 

She received an anonymous letter warning her that she would be killed on claims she was a member of a witchcraft group in the area.

“I don’t know who drafted the letter; it stated that they would chop off my head and present it the chief and that my body would never be found,” says Ms Riziki.  

She reported the matter at Ganze Police Station OB06/26/09/2020. 

“I have lived in fear since 2017 because everyone has been made to believe that I am a witch. Parents have also warned their children not to move near me,” she adds.  

She cites an incident where she called a young girl but she refused to come only to confide in her that she had been warned by her mother against interacting with her because she is a witch. 

“No action has been taken against the three reports I have made with the police. They only advised me to be closing my business as early as 6pm and open after 7am when everyone is out,” she says. 

Recorded statement

Elsewhere in Dzikunze village, Amina Salim is also living in fear after an anonymous letter warning that she would be killed for practicing witchcraft was dropped at her door step. She was accused of bewitching a child from her neighbourhood. 

“I found the letter at my door step in August and reported the mater to our village elder; who referred me to the chief; who then asked me report the matter to the police,” she says. 

She reported the incident at Matanomane Police Station in Vitengeni and was asked to go home and wait for communication from the police. 

Ms Salim, a mother of four, says she was later summoned by the officer after a few days, and informed that they had identified the person who drafted the letter; the man who claimed she had bewitched his child. 

“I met the complainant at the police station in the company of his wife and father-in-law. I recorded a statement and the officer informed me that the accused would be taken to court the following day,” she adds. 

Turned away

However, the same police officer called her the following day and informed her that the accused would not be taken to court since there was no evidence. 

“I have been receiving death threats from the time the accused was set free; I went back to the police station to inquire about the progress of my complaint, but the same officer turned me away,” says Ms Salim.   

Following such cases, Ganze Sub-county Police Commander Timothy Muasya has asked members of the public to embrace the multi-agency security system approach when reporting their matters to ensure action is taken. 

“If a complainant is not satisfied by the way the police are handling their case, they are at liberty to report to any security action for action. We want to know the officers who are not supporting us in the war against the killings of people on witchcraft allegations,” Mr Muasya says. 

Ganze is one of the nine sub-counties in Kilifi that has been identified as a hotspot for killing the elderly on witchcraft suspicions.  

 [email protected]