No shame rescuing suspected witches, says MP Mwambire

Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire, who opened a rescue centre for suspected witches at risk of lynching in Kilifi County, says nothing will deter him from helping them.

The MP said he opened Kaya Godhoma Rescue Centre in Mrima Wa Ndege in 2013.

Hundreds of elderly people rescued from death on these allegations are sheltered and counselled at the centre.

In Malindi on Friday, Mr Mwambire explained that he is "a human rights defender by passion and a politician by public demand".

"People criticise me for defending suspected witches but I shall not shy away from doing that,” he said.

“A suspected witch should not be hacked to death. Bring them to me. I have a good rehabilitation centre for them [that can] make them useful in the society."

TURNING POINT

Mr Mwambire narrated how he once recused an elderly man from an attack in Matsangoni and took him to hospital.

“Unfortunately, he was lynched by locals after recovering. This broke my heart,” he said. “I then decided to open a centre to rescue such people in future.”

Mr Mwambire said he was the only member of Parliament in East Africa who had set up a protection centre for suspected witches.

He noted that he set up the centre in line with the law after borrowing the idea from Ghana.

Cases of the killing of elderly people under these circumstances are rampant in Malindi, Magarini, Ganze and Rabai constituencies.

Investigations have found that most of the murders are due to land and inheritance issues.