Food security under threat in Coastal region as thieves raid farms

As most parts of the country inch closer to the long-awaited harvesting season after a prolonged dry spell, theft of green maize at the Coast has been on the rise, threatening food security in the region.

Farmers in some Coast counties are worried that criminals behind the wave of thefts seem to be on a mission to bankrupt them.

The theft, according to the farmers, occurs past midnight when they are fast asleep.

“When they raid the farms, they don’t begin harvesting randomly. They start with the central parts of the farm such that when you come, it is very difficult to suspect that something sinister has happened. 

“For instance, when they raided my farm, I didn’t realise it immediately because I usually check my farm from the edge while I am up there on the road and from there it is difficult to notice that the farm is disturbed,” Peter Kisaka, a farmer in Mbale area of Wundanyi constituency in Taita Taveta county said.

According to Kisaka, he would only learn two weeks later when he decided to survey his entire farm that extensive damage had already been done.

Subsistence farming

Like his neighbours, Hilton Mwabili said he resorted to guarding his farm for the next few weeks until the harvest, to bypass another cost of hiring guards as it will be way too expensive for subsistence farming.

“We spent close to Sh7,000 from preparing the farm, inputs, pesticides and weeding. Now If you ask me to return to my pocket again for a night guard, it means the whole season I will have coughed close to Sh11,000 or so. That will be uneconomical,” he explained.

Mbale location Chief Jackshan Mwawasi confirmed that his office has received uncountable reports of theft of farm produce from residents in the area and a number of suspects are being pursued.