WESTERN PROVINCE

KARONGI — Police in Kibuye are holding four women for allegedly lynching a man to death. The police identified the suspects as Berita Uwamurera, Aderine Mungwarere, 

Annonciata Nyirantimbagara and Karitas Nyirangendahayo.
They are said to have stoned to death Uziya Semanyenzi of Gishita Sector, Impembe village on Monday this week.

The dead is accused of bewitching their family member who died recently.

Three of the suspects, Mungwarere, Uwamurera and Nyirantimbagara are sisters, while Nyirangendahayo is their daughter.

The deceased was a husband to their sister, Peninah Nyirangwera, who died a week ago. The suspects accused the deceased of being responsible for the wife’s death.

"We reported the matter to the cell authorities but they declared Semanyenzi innocent. We had to kill him fearing he would bewitch us as well,” said Mungwarere.

Mungwarere added that Semanyenzi was known for being involved in witchcraft. She also alleges that Semanyenzi had previously killed his 16 year old daughter, and bewitched his 22-year old daughter who is currently ill.

Jean Marie Rurangirwa, the Karongi District police commander said, "We had taken long without receiving such brutal killings. But women planning such an act it is really disappointing.”

Rurangirwa added that no stone will be left unturned to bring all those responsible to justice.

The women reportedly hatched their plan at the funeral service of their sister Nyirangwera, and executed it a day after the burial.

Sources say the quartet cornered Semanyenzi while returning from the local council. They waited for him in the nearby bush with stones and a machete.

Mungwarere stubbed him first using the machete without much harm.

The area local defence personnel tried to stop the killing but he was also hurt in the process.

According to the local defence, other people, Martin Hitimana and Mathias Ndayisaba, sons of one of the suspects, were also involved in the crime and were separately arrested.

The police confirmed the arrests of the two boys. "According to investigation, these men are guilty, their mothers are defending them just because they need someone who will bring them food as they are in prison,” said a police officer.

By Wednesday, the suspects were yet to appear in Kibuye court. At the police station however, the women insisted that their action was justified.

According to police, one suspect identified as Amon Bikorimana is still at large.

Ends