In Ngiriambu village, Gichugu sub-county, Kirinyaga County, residents are grappling with a surge in livestock theft.
The most recent episode left 43 members of a self-help group in dismay as the cow they had purchased for a festive Christmas feast vanished without a trace.
Following leads, they traced the incident to the Kianyaga-Kiamutugu road, discovering what they strongly believed were remnants of their slaughtered cow.
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The secretary of the self-help group expressed their frustration, stating,
“We’ve been diligently saving Ksh. 200 every month to acquire the cow,
which we purchased at Ksh. 50,000 for our families’ New Year celebration, only to have it stolen.”
George Kunguru, the group’s chairman, lamented that this marked the first theft incident in the group’s decade-long history.
He explained, “For over 10 years, our Gikingi self-help group has bought a cow for our end-of-year celebrations.
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However, this time, the people of Kirinyaga there won’t be any celebration as our Ksh. 50,000 cows
have been stolen and slaughtered by unknown culprits.”
Pauline Wairimu, a group member, highlighted the alarming frequency of livestock thefts in the area,
With perpetrators resorting to aggressive methods under the cover of night.
Meatless Christmas
She voiced suspicions, saying,
“The thieves seem to have inside information, knowing precisely when we acquired the cow and other details. It’s disconcerting.”
Thitha promptly reported the theft to the Kiamutugu police station and
They urged anyone with information about the perpetrators to come forward and assist in tracking them down.
The community, now grappling with both the financial loss and a shattered tradition,
hopes for swift justice and increased vigilance to curb the escalating incidents of livestock theft in their region.
