A house on fire [Photo: Courtesy]

A 17-year-old boy killed his 71-year-old uncle in Shidodo village, Shinyalu, yesterday.

The suspect and his mother are said to have accused the uncle of being involved in witchcraft before the attack.

Villagers are now demanding the arrest of the suspect and his accomplice, who ran away after committing the act.

The suspect and his mother had allegedly been spreading rumours that the victim, Mouris Luseka, lived with evil spirits.

The suspect said a pastor 'prophesied' that the uncle was using evil spirits to bewitch them.

In retaliation, the two ambushed the victim at night and beat him to death with crude weapons before escaping.

Angry villagers stormed the boys' compound and burnt down his hut before destroying all crops on the farm.

Ben Watilo, a neighbour, said he heard screams at night and thought robbers had raided the homestead.

On moving nearer, Mr Watilo said,he saw the elderly man lying dead and immediately alerted the police.

He said tradition dictates that if a person commits murder he or she must be convicted, given a life sentence or executed.

"The perpetrators are not accepted back to their community and their homesteads are usually burnt,” he said.

"Once we're through with investigations and the suspect is arrested, we shall charge him with murder," Shinyalu OCPD Benjamin Ong’ombe said.