Shock has gripped farmers in Muthiigi village, Kirinyaga County who woke up on Thursday, July 15 morning to the carcasses of four cows slaughtered by a group of an unknown people.
Confirming the incident, Mwea West Subcounty Police Commander Stephen Okal said the animals were stolen from the said village, slaughtered in a farm near Sagana-Kagio Road before the suspects carried with them most of the meat to an unknown location for sale to unsuspecting customers.
“A mature cow is valued at around Ksh 35,000,” the police boss said adding that two goats valued at Ksh10,000 were also been stolen.
He said that investigations are ongoing to establish and bring to book the culprits.
According to area residents, the incident took place at around midnight Thursday.
“We have spent the better part of the night combing through various parts of our village only to find these carcasses,” Charles Warui, a villager told K24 Digital.
Elijah Kariuki, a resident of Muthiigi village said that they noticed some dogs coming from the farm where the beasts had been slaughtered.
“The dogs were going in and out of the farm so we decided to follow them. That is when we found the carcasses,” he said.
Martha Wanjohi, a farmer, lost a mature cow and a calf.
She said that her husband discovered that their animals were missing at around 11pm Wednesday.
After launching a search party from 11pm, they saw their cow’s udder in a nearby farm.
She had planned to sell her cow once schools open so that she can pay school fees for her daughter.
Now she has to come up with alternative ways to raise school fees.
The residents claim that incidents of livestock theft have been on the rise in the area.
Unknown people have been raiding the village getting away with goats, chicken and other domestic animals.
