A burial ceremony in Ikutha, Kitui South Constituency, was thrown into chaos after a grief-stricken man abandoned his sister’s eulogy and instead accused a neighbour of witchcraft, stunning hundreds of mourners.
The middle-aged man had been handed the microphone to speak about his late sister but managed barely a minute before emotions overwhelmed him. Visibly shaken, he spoke of his deep love for her, insisting her illness and death were not natural. He claimed her recent progress in life had attracted jealousy, accusing a neighbour of sending sickness through evil attacks to derail her success.
His remarks sent shockwaves through the gathering as he warned that such alleged practices were retrogressive and had no place in the neighbourhood, urging the community to reject beliefs and actions that he said destroy families and sow fear.
Tension escalated when the grieving brother suddenly dropped the microphone after spotting the alleged suspect among the mourners. He charged towards him, triggering panic at the burial. A section of mourners quickly intervened, restraining him and forcibly escorting him back to his seat before the situation turned violent.
The burial was briefly disrupted as elders and family members struggled to calm emotions and restore order, highlighting how raw grief can easily ignite confrontation in moments of loss.
The incident has once again raised concern over the persistence of beliefs that sickness can be “sent” to people through witchcraft, even in this century. Local leaders have repeatedly warned that such beliefs fuel suspicion, conflict and violence, while diverting attention from medical explanations of illness.
As the ceremony resumed under heavy tension, many mourners were left reflecting on how deeply rooted superstition, combined with pain and anger, can turn a solemn farewell into a dramatic and unsettling public spectacle.
