Alarm in Gatundu village as tens of livestock stolen in just a week; villagers say thieves use sleeping gas

Residents of Mutomo village in Gatundu South, Kiambu County have raised alarm after cattle rustlers allegedly began spraying them with stupefying gases before raiding their homes to steal livestock.

Cases of cattle theft have risen in the village with the latest incident having happened at Gabriel Gatika’s home where the criminals stole seven sheep on Thursday night when he was asleep.

The incident came barely two days after another six sheep were stolen from an elderly woman by the name Tabitha Gathoni.

Gathoni said the sheep were stolen when she was asleep and she woke up to find remains after the animals were slaughtered and taken away for sale.

The heavily armed rustlers, locals say, have been raiding homes at night when they are dead asleep only to wake up and find their cowsheds empty.

The villagers suspect the livestock rustlers could be spraying some chemicals into their homes to sedate them so that they can carry out their criminal activities unperturbed.

Animals slaughtered

The thieves would raid a homestead, slaughter the livestock and transport the meat to unknown markets, leaving behind a trail of destruction characterised by remains of hooves, hides and intestines.

Residents now say they are forced to keep their goats and cows in their main houses in fear of being stolen, while others are braving the cold nights to guard their property.

The victims believe the rustlers have reliable informers, well conversant with what is stocked at various homes.

The livestock, they said, are their only source of livelihood as the area has no coffee or tea cash crops where they could draw earnings.

Francis Kimani, a local, says that numerous reports have been done at Mutomo Police Post and Gatundu Police Station but no action has been taken against the rising insecurity.

Those who have made reports say that police have been advising them to stop keeping livestock instead of offering them solutions to insecurity.