Twenty-seven suspected cattle rustlers have been arrested in police operations in Kisumu, county commissioner John Elungata has said.
Speaking to the press in his office yesterday, he said 13 rustlers were apprehended in Nyakach after stealing three cows on Tuesday night.
The suspects, armed with arrows, had wounded Asoro Nyong’u and Rose Otieno on Monday night when they tried to raise an alarm.
The animals were recovered by the officers, hidden in a bush.
Elungata said out of the 29 most-wanted rustlers, two are still on the run.
He said 14 others were arrested since the crackdown began two weeks ago in Kibigori on the Kisumu-Nandi border.
“We have taken some to court with others still being interrogated,” the commissioner said.
Assistant Inspector General of Police Joseph Keitany said among the suspects is a woman who was found with a stolen cow at Fortenan in Kipkelion.
“We have so far arrested 16 of the suspects in different operations both in Nandi and Kisumu counties,” he said.
Keitany said five of the suspects will be charged with robbery with violence and three with stock theft.
This is barely two weeks after Kisumu county security team chaired by Elungata released names of those linked to animal theft.
The team had earlier named 50 rustlers and traders linked to animal theft,.
It was later reduced to 29 key suspects.
Keitany said the main suspect and trainer of criminals, Willy Kabur, was shot dead at Potopoto.
He said the government has also formed an anti-stock theft unit in Kibigori to end the clashes and rustling.
Patrols and investigations have been intense in Kibigori after clashes that left three people dead and 15 seriously injured over animal theft.
The conflict was ignited by rustling between the Luo and Kalenjin.
Eight houses were burnt in Kibigori.
Clan clashes between the Nandi and Kisumu counties at Muhoroni have been caused by animal theft.