Laikipia villager torch vehicle suspected to be ferrying stolen livestock

Nanyuki KNA April 16, 2023,

By Martin Munyi

Irate residents of a village in Laikipia County have set ablaze a vehicle they suspected was transporting stolen sheep from the area.

The residents of Matanya village in Laikipia Central Sub-county spotted and started giving chase to the Toyota probox vehicle spotted in the area after word went around that it was ferrying sheep suspected to have been stolen from nearby homesteads.

The villagers quickly mobilised boda boda operators in the area who helped in giving chase to the vehicle and finally managed to catch up with it.

Laikipia County Commissioner (CC) Joseph Kanyiri while confirming the incident said that the occupants of the suspected vehicle started throwing off sheep through the windows as it was speeding from the angry villagers.

“Among the livestock thrown off the vehicle one died while others fled to nearby bushes and homesteads,” Kanyiri said.

He added that the angry mob caught up with the car and immediately set it up in flames after the occupants fled from the scene.

Police and the area assistant chief who had responded to the melee managed to put off the fire consuming the vehicle but by the time it was completely off, the vehicle had been reduced to a shell.

Kanyiri further added that investigations into the incident have been launched by area police with the aim of nabbing the culprits and stemming further cases of stock theft.

The shell of the vehicle was towed to nearby Matanya police post. Police also recovered a driver’s license in the vehicle believed to belong to the escaped driver of the vehicle

“We urge residents not to take the law into their hands in suspected criminal cases but instead inform authorities to handle the matter,” the CC added.

Cases of livestock theft have been rife in Laikipia with a recent case barely two weeks ago in which a Nanyuki town-based butcher was arrested after 43 suspected stolen sheep were found in his homestead at Ruai village on the outskirts of the town.

Local police believe a racket involving theft of livestock, slaughter, and sale of uninspected meat to butchers within Nanyuki town has been going on for a while.

The arrested man is suspected of stocking the meat in his butchery cum eatery and selling the surplus to other butchers in Nanyuki.

 Courtesy K.N.A