Police probe strange incidents of stabbing of cattle in homesteads

One of the cows stabbed to death in Central Kanyabala, Homa Bay, March 13, 2022. [James Omoro, Standard]

Police in Homa Bay are investigating rising incidents in which criminals stab cattle in homesteads at night.

This follows cases in which three farmers woke up on Sunday morning and found their cattle stabbed.

 Five cattle were killed while 10 others were severely injured in Central Kanyabala Sub-location, Homa Bay Sub-county.

The incidents occurred at three villages namely Adongo, Kobwana A and Kobwana C villages.

The raiders went to the farmers’ homesteads at night and stabbed the animals. They walked into the homes when the farmers were asleep. 

They stabbed the cattle with weapons suspected to be knives.

The cattle sustained serious injuries in their bellies. The assailants chopped of one of the cow’s udder.

Farmers whose livestock were killed had to bury them due to fear that they might have been injected with poisonous substance.

Residents whose livestock were injured called in veterinary officers to treat their livestock.

Farmers whose cattle were affected have decried the incident. They complained it had caused them serious economic drawbacks.

Ms Anyango Twenyo, a widow and farmer at Kobwana C village, lost two cattle in the incident.

She said the animals were her sole source of livelihood.

“A serious economic setback has befallen us. The gangsters killed my two cattle and what is remaining are two young calves,” she said.

Cow severely injured in Central Kanyabala Sub-location, Homa Bay Sub-county. [James Omoro, Standard]

Residents have decried security of their livestock in the area.

Other residents said the incidents are a confirmation that their lives are at stake.

Mr George Ochieng’ said they were living in fear.

“We live in fear because unknown people can just enter homesteads and kill cattle silently without being noticed by anybody,” said Ochieng’.

The Assistant-chief of Central Kanyabala Sub-location Rose Abot said they had identified one of the suspects who is a resident of the Sub-location.

Abot said printed photographs of the suspect were found inside an envelope in one of the homesteads where the cattle were stabbed.

“This young man is associated with the current incident. He is one of the chief suspects in other incidents of cattle stabbing which occurred in this sub-location, Ndhiwa and Awendo sub-counties last year,” Abot said.

Homa Bay Directorate of Criminal Investigations Officer Monica Berege said they are investigating the matter.

“It is a very unfortunate incident. We have done our assessment on the ground to intensify investigations into the matter,” Berege said.

The incident follows another one in which six cattle were stabbed by unknown assailants in the same village in December last year.