The legal experts from Mombasa Law society of Kenya and Malindi drove to the Mekatilili rescue and resource center bought food stuff and clothes to the desperate elders who escaped from their homes for fear of being lynched.
They dressed the victims danced with them and enjoyed lunches together to give them hope that they deserve to be safe.
A lawyer, Christine Kipsang who is the Mombasa Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Vice Chairperson led the delegation of lawyers from Mombasa and Kilifi counties to visit the elders.
At first, she said she got wind of the rescue center after calling senior lawyer Joseph Karisa Mwarandu who is the founder of the center during campaigns for the Judicial Service Commission.
Kipsang said after sharing the video to different groups of lawyers they contributed funds which they bought households items for the elderly people rescued.
“As lawyers we are in the process of coming up with a plan to push for legislative changers of the witchcraft act which has contributed to the killings as it is not clear,” she said. .
The vice chair said at times they are given the murder cases related to witchcraft to handle on pro bono basis by the high court and they are usually traumatizing.
Conrad Atiang the Chairman LSK Malindi and Vice Chair Coast branch said they are happy to offer support the elders who were rescued and promised more support through sensitization so as to help them reintegrate back to the society.
“We shall also fight to push for policy change so that the problem can be addressed in the society and perpetrators be prosecuted,” he said.
Mzee Mwarandu on his part said they came up with the idea of the rescue center after finding that cases of elderly men being lynched on suspicion of being witches were on the rise particularly in Kilifi county.
He said most elders were being hacked to death for false allegations of witchcraft but in real sense their kins are after their wealth.
At times she said people die of normal sickness including HIV and Aids but still they brand the elderly as witches which was wrong.
“Ever since we started this center, we have not received any support from the county or national government we are happy that now colleagues from the legal fraternity are coming on board to support,” he said.
He said that the elderly rescued lack proper housing, food, and medication which is challenging due to lack of support.
The Senior lawyer also said they want to fence the area so as to ensure the elders are secure at the center.
He said with the team work they will begin a process of pushing for change of the witchcraft act so as to ensure elders are protected and called for support from well-wishers to ensure they help the elderly
Malindi District Cultural Association (MADCA) founder Stanley Kiraga said each year hundreds of elders are killed for allegedly practicing witchcraft in Kilifi County which was alarming.
“We have managed to rescue over 100 elders but about 35 are remaining and the others went back to their homes.The government should treat the extra judicial killing as a disaster just like Covid 19 as elders’ risk being wiped out if action is not taken,” he said.
Some of the victims narrated how they escaped narrowly from the wrath of the killers.
