An elderly man, Changawa Kambi Rimba, 74, was hacked to death at Majaoni village in Dabaso ward, Kilifi North Sub-County, over the weekend on suspicion of practising witchcraft.
The assailants attacked Rimba while he was in his compound preparing for his son’s burial. Police reports indicate that he sustained severe head and chest injuries before receiving treatment at Kilifi County Referral Hospital.
“The deceased was attacked and cut on the head with a panga and on the chest with an axe. The attackers fled, leaving him unconscious and bleeding profusely,” the police report read.
The deceased’s son, Justin Changawa, had died in a road accident on November 27, prompting some family members and neighbours to allege that he had been bewitched.
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According to police, a group of about 20 people visited Rimba’s home, pretending to condole with the family, before violently attacking him.
“They claimed that the deceased bewitched his son and caused his death and had come to take revenge,” the statement read.
Three other people were injured during the attack, including Charo Karisa Rimba, the deceased’s brother, and Elias Kambi Rua and Festus Kitsao Kambi, his sons.
The body of the deceased was moved to the Kilifi County Referral Hospital mortuary pending autopsy.
A report released last week on violations against older persons in Kilifi County revealed widespread abuse and fatal violence, showing high levels of neglect, psychological abuse, and killings.
Data collected from December 2024 to November 2025 indicated that 93 elderly people were killed, with 1,572 incidents of physical and psychological abuse within the one-year period.
Information gathered from police stations, courts, administrative offices, the Kilifi Directorate of Social Development, and civil society networks recorded 161 cases of physical abuse in Ganze, alongside 19 killings of older persons during the same period.
The research, conducted by Haki Yetu Organisation in collaboration with the Elderly Persons Steering Committee, identified witchcraft allegations, land and boundary disputes, and family conflicts over property as the main causes of elderly killings and abuse in Kilifi. Family members, neighbours, and community and religious leaders were the top perpetrators.
The study covered 38 villages across seven sub-counties. Ganze recorded 774 incidents, more than double the 326 cases reported in Kaloleni, the second-highest sub-county. Other sub-counties recorded significantly fewer incidents, and Malindi failed to submit any data, leaving gaps in the county-wide assessment.
Julius Wanyama of Haki Yetu said that the availability of verified figures marks a turning point in addressing the plight of older people. He added that the findings show religious leaders have sometimes fuelled elderly killings and abuse.
“In our next research, we will give religious leaders a chance to respond so we can link how they contribute to these abuses, as leaders are expected to be peace ambassadors,” he said.
Kilifi County Executive for Social Services Ruth Dama said the report will serve as a guide for coordinated action. “This baseline is crucial. It will inform comprehensive needs assessments, direct interventions, and enable joint planning among stakeholders addressing abuse of older persons,” she said.
The findings underscore the urgent need for policy reform, dedicated funding for older people, enhanced coordination between government, civil society, and communities, public awareness to eliminate stigma and harmful beliefs, and justice enforcement to end impunity and rebuild public trust.