By Paul Gitau and Roselyne Obala

A man, 50, was lynched by relatives on suspicion that he practises witchcraft.

The man’s family in Kibao Cha Fundisa in Malindi beat him to death a few minutes after the burial of his son, John Karisa Baya, who is said to have died following a mysterious illness.

Last week, the assistant chief of Gongoni was killed by unknown people for allegedly practising witchcraft.

Malindi OCPD Peter Kattam said the relatives and the public accosted the man at his home after the funeral.

Mr Kattam said the body was taken to the Malindi District Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examination. He said three relatives of the deceased have been arrested and are helping with investigation.

The police chief said they have launched a crackdown on those targeting old people on suspicion of witchcraft.

He asked locals not to take the law into their hands, but instead report suspected witches to the police.

Kattam said they had launched a manhunt for a famous Coast ghost buster, Beba Beba alias Ali Rajabu, whom he accused of engineering the ‘elimination’ of alleged witches.

Monday’s incident brings to 15 the number of suspected witches killed in Magarini in the last six months.

Meanwhile, a middle-aged man was brutally killed and his body dumped at a shopping centre in Kiritu village, Vihiga District, at the weekend.

Vihiga OCPD Gideon Kibunja said Kennedy Odanga, 46, is suspected to have been killed elsewhere.

"We are yet to arrest the culprits, but we have launched investigation into the killing," he said.

In the same district, a man 40-year-old man drank poison and died, following domestic wrangles at Chamasirhia village.