Four people have each been sentenced to seven years imprisonment for stealing dairy cows in Nyanduma village, Lari constituency.
Alfred Wafula, Stephen Nyamng'andu, Joseph Wanyonyi and Benard Gachanga were sentenced by Limuru senior principal magistrate Jared Magori.
They pleaded guilty to charges of stealing stock and handling stolen property.
The court was told that they stole two cows belonging to Joseph Mbugua, whose value was Sh100,000 each, at Nyanduma village between September 20 and 25.
They were also charged with stealing two others cows belonging to Antony Njenga whose value was Sh100,000 each on or between September 20 and 25 of this year.
Gachanga was charged separately for the offence of being found with animals, which were believed to have been stolen at Nyanduma village.
The police told the court that the suspects used to steal the animals and take them to Gachanga's home as they looked for market to sell them off.
The prosecution told the magistrate that they did not have their previous criminal records as asked by the court to treat them as first offenders.
After delivering the ruling, Magori gave the a 14-day period to raise an appeal if they were not contented with the judgement.
Outside the courts, Lari subcounty police commander Adamson Furaha thanked the court for punishing the animal thieves.
Furaha said the ruling was a lesson to other people who think they could enrich themselves with stealing people's animals from their homes.
The police chief said they have laid a strategy of dismantling a gang who steal dairy cows only to sell them at a throw away price at far away places.
"We are all alert and we shall deal with anyone who thinks they will steal expensive cows and sell them quickly, leaving farmers in trouble," he said.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
