Fop 1 Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Horror of Kenya's 'witch' lynchings Joseph Ondieki, at the grave of his mother, who was burned as a witch By Odhiambo Joseph BBC News, Kenya Villagers, many straight from their farms, and armed with machetes, sticks and axes, are shouting and crowding round in a big group in Kenya's fertile Kisii district. I can't see clearly what is going on, but heavy smoke is rising from the ground and a horrible stench fills the air. More people are streaming up the hill, some of them with firewood and maize stalks. Suddenly an old woman breaks from the crowd, screaming for mercy. Three or four people go after her, beat her and drag her back, pushing her onto - what I can now see - is a raging fire. Burned alive I was witnessing a horrific practice which appears to be on the increase in Kenya - the lynching of people accused of being witches. I personally saw the burning alive of five elderly men and women in Itii village. They point at me saying - that is a son of the witch Joseph Ondieki Listen to African Perspective I had been visiting relatives in a nearby town, when I heard what was happening. I dashed to the scene, accompanied by a village elder. He reacted as if what we were watching was quite normal, which was shocking for me. As a stranger I felt I had no choice but to stand by and watch. My fear was that if I showed any sign of disapproval, or made any false move, the angry mob could turn on me. Not one person was protesting or trying to stop the killing. Hours later, the police came and removed the charred bodies. Village youths who took part in the killings told me that the five victims had to die because they had bewitched a young boy. "Of course some people have been burned. But there is proof of witchcraft," said one youth. He said that a child had spent the night walking around and then was unable to talk the following morning - except to one of the so-called witches. Mary Nyaboke came home to find her mother-in-law burned alive I asked the youths whether or not people involved in this supposed witchcraft should be punished. "Yes, they must be punished, every one," said the first youth. "We are very angry and that's why we end up punishing these people and even killing them." His friend agreed: "In other communities, there are witches all round but in Kisii we have come up with a new method, we want to kill these people using our own hands." I later discovered that the young boy who had supposedly been bewitched, was suffering from epilepsy. His mother had panicked when he had had an attack. All too common The village elder was dismissive of my horror, saying that this kind of thing happens all the time in the western district of Kisii. He told me about Joseph Ondieki, whose mother had been burned to death less than two months earlier. I found Joseph and his wife Mary Nyaboke tending vegetables in their small shamba, or homestead. If I visit my neighbours I fear they might poison my food Joseph Ondieki Mary told me that on the day her mother-in-law had been killed she had been visiting her own parents. She had heard a noise and discovered the truth when she came home. She said that in the 20 years she had been married, she had never had any reason to believe her husband's mother was a witch. Joseph told me he has suffered a lot since his mother died. "I was born here, but at this stage I feel as if this is not my home any more," he said. "I cannot visit neighbours or relatives. "Even when they see me standing by the road side, they point at me, saying: 'That is a son of the witch'. Joseph Ondieki and his wife Mary The couple fear they may be the next victims "And when I go to town they also start wondering what has taken me there. Is it that I am going to give evidence against them? "When I come back, they say I've been seen at the police station, but I've never been there. I've never reported the matter. "If I visit the neighbours, I always fear that they might put poison in the food. "So when I'm forced to visit, I make sure I don't eat anything. "If I can't get my own food I just have a glass of water and sleep." I set off with Joseph up the hill towards his house, which was far from the centre of the village. On the way we passed his mother's house. A neighbour was reluctant to talk to me and denied even knowing Joseph's mother. "Here in Kisii, people are being burned on mere allegation and most of them are old," Joseph said. "We now don't have any old people in the village to consult. "Even me I'm now approaching 50 years old - I'm afraid that they'll come for me also." Warning signs I spent three days in Kisii trying to speak to the authorities, but nobody, neither the police nor the local government officials would talk to me. As night drew in, and it was time for me to leave, Joseph walked with me from his village to where my car was parked. When we arrived, he begged me to take him with me to Mombasa, where I am based. It was very difficult for me to leave him behind. As I drove away I passed signs pinned to trees, warning witches that they would be tracked down. "We know you by your names", someone had typed in bold. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8119201.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 13840 Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Fop, should we change your name to NSFW? It's getting tedious man, let it go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 34433 Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Crazy people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 No wonder they're such good runners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renton 17758 Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 There was a documentary on children being murdered for witchcraft in Nigeria about a year ago I think. It was truly harrowing stuff. There were some UK volunteers who had sacrificed everyhting to set up a refuge and risked their lives etc. Truly inspirational people yet they get almost no recognition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 34433 Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Well it's taken you a year to mention it so I think you need to shoulder some of the blame for that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyshinton 59 Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Well it's taken you a year to mention it so I think you need to shoulder some of the blame for that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renton 17758 Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Well it's taken you a year to mention it so I think you need to shoulder some of the blame for that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fop 1 Posted June 26, 2009 Author Share Posted June 26, 2009 Fop, should we change your name to NSFW? It's getting tedious man, let it go. They are your rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayatollah Hermione 12767 Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 I'm telling you people, the world revolves around the sun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazarus 0 Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 We were doing this ourselves not so long ago...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snakehips 0 Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 No wonder they're such good runners. But canny bad swimmers, I'm reliably told by one IOC member. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitman 2188 Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 NSFW = Not Suitable For Witches? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fop 1 Posted June 27, 2009 Author Share Posted June 27, 2009 (edited) NSFW = Not Suitable For Witches? We were doing this ourselves not so long ago...... We're still doing it now, just not in quite the same manner. Edited June 27, 2009 by Fop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentAxeman 82 Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 No wonder they're such good runners. But canny bad swimmers, I'm reliably told by one IOC member. dont know how true this is but i was told its bcos the bone structures in the ankles/feet are slightly different. meaning one is better for running and one is better for swimming. you see, we're not all the same under the skin!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazarus 0 Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 No wonder they're such good runners. But canny bad swimmers, I'm reliably told by one IOC member. dont know how true this is but i was told its bcos the bone structures in the ankles/feet are slightly different. meaning one is better for running and one is better for swimming. you see, we're not all the same under the skin!! Jason Dunford? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lahey 0 Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Maybe they are withches. What's the big problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiggy_nufc 0 Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 No wonder they're such good runners. But canny bad swimmers, I'm reliably told by one IOC member. dont know how true this is but i was told its bcos the bone structures in the ankles/feet are slightly different. meaning one is better for running and one is better for swimming. you see, we're not all the same under the skin!! Black people's bones are more dense and they also have a frame designed for a greater muscle mass. Hinders their performance in the pool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fop 1 Posted June 28, 2009 Author Share Posted June 28, 2009 No wonder they're such good runners. But canny bad swimmers, I'm reliably told by one IOC member. dont know how true this is but i was told its bcos the bone structures in the ankles/feet are slightly different. meaning one is better for running and one is better for swimming. you see, we're not all the same under the skin!! Black people's bones are more dense and they also have a frame designed for a greater muscle mass. Hinders their performance in the pool. Well a tendency to slightly denser bones and less body fat which makes them less buoyant. Although it's not really "black" people though as there's as much genetic divergence within African populations as their in worldwide populations, with certain populations having certain genetic differences (like the higher red blood cell count coming from certain high altitude populations in West Africa - which generally makes them good long distance runners, as it would.... but which isn't necessarily found in "black" genetic populations in west, central or southern Africa). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fop 1 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 Pleasing news for Renty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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