Maasai storm police station in Naivasha to free detained animals

Some of the members of the Maasai community storm an anti-stock theft unit in KARLO Naivasha to protest the detaining of their 56 cattle by the security officers. The herders said that they were seeking pastures for the animals due to the ongoing drought when the officers illegal arrested the animals. PHOTO: Antony Gitonga

Maasai pastoralists Sunday clashed with officers from the Anti-Stock Theft Unit after their animals were detained for straying onto a private farm. The 56 animals were held for two days near a Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation farm in Naivasha.

At one point, the angry pastoralists threatened to forcefully drive away the animals that looked frail after going for two days without water. Emotions ran high as it emerged that 10 of the animals, valued at over Sh300,000, were missing and the officers could not account for them. The animals were detained in unclear circumstances on Friday.