By David Odongo
A city farmer has chicken he believes nobody can steal— not even the most daring Nairobi thief.
Erick Mutua says he has never hired a watchman to protect his chickens since he started his poultry project eight years ago.
He told The Nairobian that his chicken pens — located Opposite Gertrude’s Hospital in Nairobi West — are guarded by a ‘higher power’.
When asked if he was using witchcraft, Mutua refused to explain, choosing instead to quip: “Just try steal and see what happens.”
He has two cages, each with up to 20 chickens.
Every evening, he locks the cages and covers them with plastic bags then goes home.
“I leave the chicken here the whole night. I don’t pay the neighbouring watchmen to look after them and nobody can steal,” he said.
“The thief won’t even walk 100 metres before turning back with the stolen chicken and coming back to wait for me. It doesn’t matter whether it’s raining or not; the thief will wait for me.”
The man in his mid-40s sells 15 to 30 hens every day but the numbers sometimes go up to 40 at the weekends.
“I got a niche that wasn’t exploited. I sell kuku kienyeji (local chicken). My chicken take up to a year to mature, unlike broilers which mature in six weeks.
Most people who buy from me are repeat customers,” he says, adding that he also slaughters the birds for his customer.
He, however, usually remains with the legs, heads and intestines, which he resells.
