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Residents of Nkiito Kajiado West Subcounty are calling on security officers manning roadblocks to intercept livestock being ferried at night following cases of increased livestock theft in the area.

Fake livestock permits

Devastated residents say the criminals targeting sheep, goats and cattle steal in the wee hours of the night and use vehicles to ferry the stolen livestock using fake permits.

According to the county livestock regulations, no livestock should be ferried at night.

“Livestock theft has become rampant in our area in the recent past. The criminals drive away livestock from homes in the wee hours of the night and load them in standby vehicles and lorries making it hard to trace them.

“Security officers manning roadblocks should consider night livestock ferrying suspicious. How can someone be transporting animals as early as 2 am? The slaughterhouse where the animals are sold is only open from 5 am. A security personnel may not tell a genuine and a fake animal permit but we do not sell livestock at night,” Amos Kishoyian, a resident of Nkiito said.

Sheep and goats targeted

The area senior assistant chief David Teeka says in the past three weeks, at least 70 sheep and goats have been stolen in different homesteads and 11 stolen cattle recovered and one suspect arrested.

“We suspect that criminals are working in cahoot with locals who are familiar with practices and terrains of our area. I urge community members to allow the law to take its course when this suspects are arrested regardless of being known to them. Crime is crime regardless of who is committing it,” Teeka said.

Warning to livestock thieves

Isinya subcounty police commander Patrick Manyasi has since issued a stern warning to criminals involved in livestock theft warning of dire consequences to those found culpable.

“We will not negotiate with a criminal who has been found and proven guilty of committing an offence. Being a local does not justify theft for us to allow you to negotiate with someone you have stolen from.

“The law is universal and selective application of the wrath of law will Fuel crime and deny justice to innocent Kenyans. We are on high alert over ferrying of livestock in our roadblocks to avert cases of theft,” Manyasi reassured.

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