This archive report was first published on 9 July 2021.
As dusk sets in, residents of Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, and Vihiga counties rush to beat the 7pm curfew imposed on Western and Nyanza counties due to a spike in Covid-19 cases. However, the curfew has inadvertently created an opportunity for organised gangs to steal livestock.
According to residents and police sources, the gangs slaughter the animals and sell the meat cheaply to local butcheries and hotels. The thieves reportedly ferry the stolen livestock in waiting lorries, tuktuks, pick-ups, and even motorcycles.
Investigations have established that most of the stolen livestock is slaughtered in sugarcane plantations, bushes, or houses belonging to the criminals or their accomplices, and the meat is sold at throwaway prices. The stolen animals are sometimes transported to far-off places where the gangs have active networks.
Sub-counties hardest hit by the theft of livestock include Shinyalu, Khwisero, Malava, Butere, and Matungu in Kakamega, Ugenya and Gem in Siaya, and Butula in Busia County. In May alone, at least five suspected cattle thieves were lynched by residents at the border of Siaya and Kakamega.
Residents have accused the police of doing little to arrest the problem, with some even suggesting that senior police officers, chiefs, and their assistants may be involved in the illicit trade. A police officer who spoke to The Standard claimed that the theft of livestock is an intricate web that involves butcheries and hotel owners, and that people are becoming instant millionaires through this illicit trade.
However, Kakamega County Police Commander Hassan Barua and Shinyalu Sub-county police commander Robert Makau denied any knowledge of the escalating cases of livestock thefts, stating that no reports have reached their offices.
