Residents of Gaturi, Kiharu Constituency, Murang’a County, have decried increased theft of livestock and farm produce by criminals, some of whom are daring enough to roast the stolen maize before making away with the loot.
According to the distressed residents, the thieves are also threshing the stolen beans on the victims’ farms to make them easier to carry.
One of the victims, Patrick Mwangi, observes that he woke up to an empty shed after the thieves made away with his only sheep last night.
“Before I retired to sleep, I left the sheep pen intact but woke up to an empty pen, upon searching, I discovered my sheep slaughtered in the forest nearby,” notes Mwangi.
The thieves, he says, had left the knife used to commit the heinous crime beside the skin and the head of his sheep, perhaps a confirmation of how daring they are. They did away with the meat.
A few days ago, my beans were uprooted from the Shamba at night and they even threshed the pods right there and roasted some maize before disappearing into the night,” he adds.
In the neighbouring Kiusek village, John Kahius’ two cows were stolen earlier in the week, with the thieves hacking the calf to death to silence its distress cries that would have alerted the owners.
Charles Kimani, whose barn was broken into and all his freshly harvested farm produce stolen, called on traders not to buy anything from suspicious elements.
“If someone comes to sell maize, beans, or even meat to you, ask some questions, but do not buy blindly just because it’s being sold at a throwaway price,” he appealed.
The residents further called on the regional security apparatus to move with speed and apprehend the culprits, fearing they may turn to terrorising them once they are done with livestock and farm produce.
By Florence Kinyua
