Police bust Nyandarua cattle thieves

On Friday morning, Priscillah Wanjiru from Kariamu in Ol Kalou woke up to an empty cattle shed. All her 14 cows had been stolen at night.

The 72-year–old widow reported at Ol Kalou police station, prompting a frantic search across the whole of Nyandarua county. But the cows could not be found.

Little did she and security officers know that her cows were slaughtered at a private residence in Ciondo village in Kinangop.

To their surprise, he was carrying beef. They immediately arrested Njoroge and handed him over to the local administration.

The man led Nyandarua South deputy county commissioner Peter Karanja and a team of police officers to the residence of Ronald Ibabu, 38, at Ciondo village. They made a shocking discovery.

Ibabu is a member of a cartel which has reduced Nyandarua farmers to poverty by stealing and slaughtering their animals for sale in Nairobi and other towns.

He has built a slaughterhouse in his home where cows stolen from the county are slaughtered. Meat and tens of skins were discovered.

Nyandarua county commissioner Boaz Cherutich yesterday said the arrest of Njoroge and Ibabu is a major breakthrough in dismantling the gang which has been stealing cows especially in Mirangine and Ol Kalou. He said three more suspects whom he did not name are on the run and police are hunting for them.

On Sunday, Cherutich led the county security team to the home of Ibabu and Engineer police station where the two suspects are held. Farmers whose cows have been stolen were invited to see if they could identify their animals by skins.

Wanjiru identified 14 skins belonging to her stolen dairy cows. “I have identified all the skins. Now I have believed my cows are no longer alive. They have been slaughtered, “she said

Unfit for human consumption

The county commissioner said the meat sold in Nairobi and other towns by Ibabu and his accomplices is a cause for concern as it is not inspected to authenticate its fitness for human consumption.

Cherutich reiterated that the ban he recently imposed on night transportation of livestock and their products is still in force. Anybody who wants to transport any animal or animal products must get a letter from their chief.

The administrator thanked Njabini residents for assisting the police.

“Another day, through assistance of residents we were able to recover 12 cows," “he said.

Nyandarua county police commander Gideon Ngumi said police are determined to end stock theft in Nyandarua.