Delmonte guards, local residents in stand-off over recent 'killings'

Panic has gripped villages surrounding Delmonte Kenya Limited (DKL) in Thika following mysterious drowning of youths in a nearby river.

In the past two days, four bodies were retrieved from Chania River in Gachagi village after an alleged confrontation of more than 20 young men with the guards inside the pineapple plantations last Friday.

On the eve of Christmas and Christmas Day, residents camped along the banks of Chania River in a successful search where bodies of four victims were recovered, ending a five-day search.

On the eve of Christmas, two bodies were retrieved from the river, and two more on Christmas Day. They had been reported missing on December 21.

Murang'a County Police Commander David Mathiu said the matter is under investigations after reports were made at Ngati Police Station.

Mathiu said witness statements and postmortem examination reports would help in investigations.

"There have been reports made to police about stealing and assaults within the Delmonte plantations, and individual farms," said Mathiu.

Management of Delmonte, in a statement, said it was cooperating with the police in investigations into the matter.

"As a corporate company, we adhere to the rule of law, and as of now, we are waiting for the police to conclude their investigations, that is our stand, until we get a full report from the police," read the statement from the company's public relations office.

John Kamunya stared at the river as villagers and police retrieved the bodies of his friends from the river, recounting how they were tortured.

He broke down as the body of his friend Bernard Mutua, 22, who went missing on Friday after a confrontation with the guards, was being retrieved from the river.

"Our mission is to feed our families, not to steal, but the guards have targeted the youth whenever they come across youth harvesting the pineapples," said Mr Kamunya, a resident of Gachagi village.

Mzee Solomon Mutisya said all four bodies retrieved had visible injuries to prove they were brutally assaulted before they drowned.

"This an abuse of human rights as the four youths could not have drowned in the same locality," said Mutisya.

Clement Kamau, a member of Kagama, a community watch group, called for in-depth investigations.