Three people were yesterday lynched by a mob in Dera, Kilifi county, on witchcraft allegations.
The mob, mostly boda boda riders, claimed the victims were witches who had bewitched their colleague who died on Monday.
Witnesses and villagers said a boda boda rider died mysteriously on Monday, hours before attending a traditional marriage ceremony in his village.
Kilifi police boss Alexander Makau confirmed the four deaths, that of the rider and three of the elderly.
The deceased are: Silaumu (65), Pola Tete (58) and Kamali Dulo (60), while the boda boda who drowned on Monday in a dam was identified as Khamis Kadondo aged 22 years.
“It is true we have lost four people in a span of two days. There was a young man who drowned when he went to wash his motorcycle at Kashuru dam. The boda boda operators claimed the elders had a hand in the death of their colleague, and that is why they have raided their home and killed them this morning,” Makau said.
Police rescued three people targeted for elimination by the angry boda boda riders.
“We are in control of the situation for the moment. The youths had listed seven people for elimination today, but our quick response has saved the situation. We have three people whom we rescued and currently at the police station,” Makau said.
