The National Police Service on Sunday, June 29, 2025, confirmed recovering a dozen stolen livestock in Igembe North, Meru County.

 The NPS made the revelation via a statement on its X page following a report filed at the Kangeta Police Station over the theft of the livestock.

The police made the recovery in the Ndumuru area following a patrol conducted by its officers in the area.

“Following a report made on 26 June 2025 at Kangeta Police Station regarding the theft of livestock, police officers on patrol yesterday, 28 June 2025, successfully recovered twelve head of cattle hidden in the bush within the Ndumuru area,” part of the NPS’s statement read.

RECOVERY OF STOLEN LIVESTOCK IN MERU

Following a report made on 26 June 2025 at Kangeta Police Station regarding the theft of livestock, police officers on patrol yesterday, 28 June 2025, successfully recovered twelve head of cattle hidden in the bush within Ndumuru area.

The… pic.twitter.com/adHnuhOFIP

— National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) June 29, 2025

The police revealed that the cattle have since been returned to the rightful owners, as it reiterated their commitment to curb cases of cattle rustling in the area.

“The recovered animals were escorted by the officers to the Bullow area in Igembe North, where they were handed over to their rightful owners. The National Police Service (NPS) remains committed to safeguarding lives and property by working closely with communities to curb incidents of cattle rustling and related crimes.

The development comes a couple of days after the police conducted a similar operation along the volatile Kenya-Uganda border on Friday, June 27, 2025.

The recovered livestock were stolen during an armed cross-border raid in Turkana after suspected Turkana youths allegedly crossed into Ugandan territory and drove away cattle, sparking a tense security response.

Ugandan authorities promptly alerted their Kenyan counterparts, triggering a swift joint response.

“On the night of 25 June 2025, Ugandan authorities reported that suspected Turkana youths had crossed into Uganda and stolen cattle, driving them back towards the Kenyan border,” part of the statement from the NPS read.

In response, officers from the National Police Service (NPS) were swiftly mobilised to block possible escape routes and pursue the stolen livestock. The statement also read that the security team intercepted the suspects, leading to an exchange of gunfire that forced the raiders to flee. The animals were successfully recovered during the operation.