"IT'S NOT WITCHCRAFT, IT IS GREED"

IN THE LAST DECADE, CASES OF ABUSE AGAINST ELDERS ROCKED THE AIRWAVES IN KISII, NYAMIRA AND KILIFI COUNTIES. MOST OF THE ACCUSATIONS THAT LED TO THE ELDERS BEING TORTURED AND KILLED, WERE THOSE OF WITCHCRAFT. HOWEVER, THE LAW DOES NOT RECOGNIZE WITCHCRAFT AND AS SUCH SOME OF THE PERPETRATORS WERE BROUGHT TO BOOK. THE FIGHT AGAINST STIGMATIZATION AGAINST THE ELDERLY CONTINUES TO BE WIDELY PUBLICIZED, WITH THE COUNTRY JOINING THE WORLD IN CREATING AWARENESS AGAINST ELDER ABUSE.
CGS…
Kenya has joined the world in creating awareness on elder abuse
This comes in the backdrop of some elders in Kisii and Nyamira county being stereotyped as witches
The accused were brutally murdered after being humiliated
PACKAGE///
VO///
NATS…
THE HURT IN HIS VOICE IS LOUD AND CLEAR…
NATS…
A HOUSE ON FIRE, ONLOOKERS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO SALVAGE THE SITUATION…NATS…REASON BEING, THAT IS A WITCHES’ HOUSE…
NATS…
THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE MANY CASES OF WITCH HUNT IN KISII COUNTY, OVER THE YEARS. THE PEOPLE MOSTLY TARGETED ARE THE ELDERLY AGED BETWEEN 60-100 YEARS OLD.
NATS/UPS…
IN BANDA SUB LOCATION, WAGICHANA EAST LOCATION, AN EMPTY HOMESTEAD WITH AN AIR OF LONELINESS WELCOMES US TO THE LATE SABINA SINDEGE MAYAKA’S HOME. CHRISTOPHER BOSIRE MAYAKA WITNESSED HIS MOTHER SABINA, BEING DRAGGED AWAY BY ROWDY YOUTH WHO ACCUSED HER OF BEWITCHING A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY. HIS ATTEMPT TO HELP HER, WAS MET WITH A HARD BLOW TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD…
NATS/UPS… MAYAKA
AS HE NARRATES THIS HORRIFYING ORDEAL, HE SAYS HE HAS BEEN THREATENED, JUST BECAUSE HE IS A WITNESS AND A RELATIVE OF SOMEONE ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT…
NATS/UPS… MAYAKA
OTOTO GEOFFREY HAS BEEN A TOTAL ORPHAN FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS NOW. FIRST TO DIE WAS HIS FATHER, WHO WAS KILLED BY UNKNOWN PEOPLE. NO ARRESTS WERE MADE AND NO MOTIVE WAS ESTABLISHED. HIS MOTHER, WHO HAD MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, WAS BURNT TO DEATH BY PEOPLE WHO ACCUSED HER OF PRACTICING WITCHCRAFT. THE HOMESTEAD IS NOW DESERTED WITH NO NEIGHBOURS WANTING TO COME NEAR IT FOR FEAR OF ASSOCIATION TO WITCHES.
NATS/UPS… OTOTO
THE STIGMA OF BEING ASSOCIATED WITH AN ALLEGED WITCH HAS COST HIS FAMILY MORE THAN JUST GRIEF. NONE OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS HAS BEEN ABLE TO SECURE A JOB WITH PEOPLE STILL MAINTAINING THAT A DIRECT RELATIVE WAS ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT.
NATS/UPS… OTOTO
THE WORST IS THE EVIDENT THREATS WHICH HE HAS REPORTED TO THE AUTHORITIES SEVERALLY, BUT NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN.
NATS/UPS… OTOTO
HE CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THE VICTIMS IN WITNESS PROTECTION, ESPECIALLY THE YOUNG ONES ARE WELL TAKEN CARE OF AND PROTECTED AGAINST THE STEREOTYPING SOCIETY THAT MIGHT JEOPARDIZE THEIR FUTURE…
MATS/UPS… OTOTO
AS AN ELDERLY PERSON, ANDREW MAYAKA MAYAKA, CAN ONLY PLEAD WITH THE YOUNGER PEOPLE TO GET OUT OF THE COCOON OF INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS THAT MAKE THEM THINK ELDER PERSONS ARE NOTHING BUT EVIL.
NATS/UPS… MAYAKA MAYAKA
STEVE ARIKA, THE MCA IBENO WARD HAS BEEN VOCAL ABOUT THE ABUSE AGAINST THE ELDERS IN KISII. HE SAYS AMONG THE REASONS FOR THE ABUSE INCLUDE FAMILY FEUDS WHICH ARE MOSTLY BECAUSE OF LAND TUSSLES AND INHERITANCE BETWEEN FAMILIES. HE HAS URGED THE YOUNGER GENERATION TO RESPECT THEIR ELDERS AND BREAK THE STEREOTYPING AND STIGMATIZATION…
NATS/UPS… ARIKA
KISII DIRECTOR FOR CULTURE OBINO NYAMBANE HAS BACKED HIM SAYING THEY ARE WORKING ON SENSITIZING THE YOUTH ON THEIR ROLE OF PROTECTING AND TAKING CARE OF THE ELDERLY.
NATS/UPS… OBINO
THE BRUTALITY OF THE MURDERS OF THE MEN AND WOMEN ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS INHUMANE. BEING ROUGHED UP, DRAGGED AND MATCHED TO A PARTICULAR SPACE, BEING EMBARRASSED IN FRONT OF HUNDRED OF PEOPLE, NOT BEING GIVEN A CHANCE TO DEFEND YOURSELF AND FINALLY BEING BURNT ALIVE IS NOT THE BEST WAY TO DIE, ESPECIALLY AFTER WALKING THE EARTH FOR DECADE AND FOR SOME, EVEN A CENTURY. AS THE COUNTRY JOINS THE WORLD IN CONTINUING TO CREATE AWARENESS ON ELDER ABUSE, THE YOUTH ARE BEING URGED TO PROTECT THE ELDERS AND TAKE CARE OF THEM.