More than 10,000 stolen pineapples have in the past two months been recovered and returned to Del Monte farm in Murang’a County.
Police say they arrested 199 suspects found with the products in the period and charged them with various offenses.
The retrieved pineapples have been returned to the company, as announced by the police on Friday under the initiative named "Operation Linda Mananasi."
During the same timeframe, the apprehended suspects faced a collective fine of Sh2.3 million.
David Mathiu, the Murang'a County Police Commander, has spearheaded this operation alongside a local team operating within Ithanga/Kakuzi Sub-county. The primary objective is to apprehend and deter theft of agricultural produce.
Mathiu stated that there was need for such an operation that arose from continuous complaints by the farm management regarding the widespread pilferage of products from the expansive farm.
He also emphasized the success of the operation, which involved officers from various sub-counties.
The extensive farm was effectively sealed off, leading to the recovery of ten cars, numerous motorcycles, and tuktuks that were implicated in the theft activities
The Police Commander said the operation will continue to ensure the farm enjoys its business.
“We are working well with other stakeholders in the operation. We advise those behind the theft of the farm products to keep off or face the law,” Mathiu said.
Past operations by the farm led to clashes between their security and suspected thieves which turned fatal.
The vast plantation is estimated to cover at least 40 square kilometers of the area of Muranga.
The farm has public roads going through it and directly employs 237 security guards.
Guards on the farm are typically armed with rungus.
Their use in security is legal and common in Kenya because of the risk of violent theft, including from young men who regularly go in organised groups to steal pineapples, but the claims suggest the guards’ use of violence has been excessive.
