Police recover 145 stolen cattle in Meru
Police officers in Igembe Central Sub-County recovered 145 heads of cattle that had been stolen on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
In a statement on Monday, July 21, 2025, the National Police Service (NPS) confirmed that the cattle had been handed over to the rightful owner.
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“On 20 July 2025, National Police Service officers in Igembe Central Sub-County successfully recovered and handed over 145 head of cattle to the rightful owner. The livestock, which had been reported stolen earlier that day, was recovered through coordinated police efforts,” read the statement in part.
Further, the Service announced that police officers remain on the ground to track down the remaining livestock and bring those responsible to justice as investigations continue.
“The National Police Service remains committed to protecting life and property and is working tirelessly to combat livestock theft and other criminal activities,” the statement read.
Cattle rustling
This comes a few days after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that the government intensified its crackdown on cattle rustling by shifting focus to buyers involved in the illegal trade.
Speaking on July 19, 2025, after a security briefing in Maralal, the CS expressed concern over the role of livestock markets in Kerio Valley, which he said have become key avenues for the sale of stolen animals.
“There are markets here that sell livestock to buyers to take them to Nairobi and beyond,” Murkomen said.
He added that the government is now moving to hold such buyers accountable, noting that they are fuelling the cycle of cattle theft and insecurity in the region.
“I have told the intelligence and security teams to apprehend the buyers catalysing cattle rustling in this region,” he said.
The Interior CS was in Samburu County for a leaders’ consultative meeting on security, where he emphasised the government’s resolve to address long-standing insecurity in the North Rift.
“No one found culpable will be spared,” he warned.
CS Murkomen stated that the region has long suffered from the effects of banditry and cattle rustling, emphasising that lasting peace will require disrupting the entire chain of the illegal trade, from rustlers to buyers.
