New strategy set to tame cattle theft, banditry

Security officials in Laikipia County have resorted to confiscating animals from villages hosting stolen livestock.

Laikipia East Deputy County Commissioner Esther Dhahabu said in the new tack, the villagers will be be given opportunity to return an equal number of animals to the ones stolen to compensate victims.

“We have no problem if they promise to return the animals but if they don’t we take theirs by force,“ said Dhahabu.

“We have unsuccessfully tried to end this habit through different strategies for a long time, but with this one we are hopeful that it will help us fight cattle theft.”

This week, the security officers confiscated more than 140 head of cattle from residents of Kimagandura where livestock stolen from Umande were driven to.

“We are relying on tips to find out where the animals are taken to. If the villagers of the identified areas do not produce the animals or reveal the culprits we take animals from them and give back to the victims,” said Dhahabu.

She said stolen animals are mostly driven into the expansive Mkogodo Forest where armed bandits lay ambush to thwart any recovery mission.

“Once the animals are inside the forest it is hard to recover them all,” said the administrator, adding that they are kept in the forest before they are sneaked through Isiolo County to be sold to butchers.

During the Kimagandura recovery, Dhahabu said they arrested two suspects believed to be in the cattle theft syndicate.

“The innocent villagers do not want to lose their animals and so they tip us on the suspects’ whereabouts.

“We arrested one at Ichuga village in Nyeri County as he tried to flee to his rural home in Narok on realising that police were looking for him,” she said.

The other suspect was traced to his hideout in Kimagandura village after a tip-off by the villagers. Plans are also underway to recruit and train additional National Police Reservists.