How I narrowly escaped death after villagers falsely accused me of witchcraft

Nyanturi Mogare*, a 46-year-old living in the Nyagonyi area of Marani, Kisii, found herself entangled in a web of fear and superstition after she was accused of practising witchcraft.

She recounts the chilling events of how she narrowly escaped a plot to kill her. A neighbour, 88-year-old Rael Sigara, had asked Nyanturi to accompany her to visit the son of one of her in-laws. He had been sick for some time.

“Rael could not even board a motorcycle without falling off. Her knees were weak, so I agreed to travel with her,” Nyanturi begins, her voice tinged with sorrow.

Also read: ‘Goodbye my love’: My wife’s last painful words to me as villagers lynched her

Despite the abruptness of their visit, they were warmly welcomed. But Nyanturi says they did not enter the in-laws' house because it was against tradition.

Instead, they waited under a shed and Rael's sick relative, a young man, was brought outside to meet them. Thankfully, he had shown significant improvement after battling with illness for two months.

Besides seeing the young man, Nyanturi soon learnt that Rael had other intents.

Also read: Brutal mob killing exposes plight of suspected witches in Vihiga

“Rael's son had married into the young man's family, but now the young man desired to marry a girl from Rael's family, a breach of Kisii traditions. That union could not be allowed,” Nyanturi says.

Choosing to address the matter discreetly, Rael and Nyanturi approached the young man's mother to raise their concerns. Little did they know that their actions would ignite a tragic sequence of events. Nyanturi's voice trembles as she recounts the fallout.

“A week later, they came after Rael on accusations of witchcraft,” she says, her words heavy with disbelief.

Also read: Where witch tag is a death sentence

On the day Rael was killed, Nyanturi initially mistook the commotion outside her house for a thief being lynched, only to get out and witness Rael being stripped naked and beaten to death by a mob led by the young man they had visited, despite her pleas for mercy.

“Because I was seen in the company of Rael the previous week, the mob began calling out for me. They were saying I am also a witch.”

Luckily, bagamabi (Kisii clan elders) saw how the mob had brutally killed Rael and decided to save Nyanturi’s life. They sent a messenger on a motorbike to accompany her to safety.

Also read: Killing ‘witches’ barbaric act that does not belong in this age

Nyanturi found refuge at Rioma Police Station, where she was allowed to spend the rest of the day. She was then advised to flee the Marani area. With the support of sympathetic officers and concerned villagers, she made her way to safety in Kisii town where she spent the night.

The following day, her daughter temporarily relocated her to Nakuru where she stayed for two weeks until it was safe for her to return.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Nyanturi believes the accusations stemmed from the marital dispute, with the young man seeking revenge for Rael's opposition to his proposed union.

When asked why she came back despite the threat to her life, Nyanturi says she knows she is not a witch and will not flee her home again.

*Name changed for protection.

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