Kisumu: A family from Manyatta in Kisumu County wants security agencies to step up efforts to recover their stolen cattle, following reports that an organized gang was behind the theft.
According to Kenya News Agency, one of the victims, Bishop Alando Obote, expressed frustration that the police were not doing enough even after receiving a tip-off on those suspected to have colluded with the thieves, who reportedly stole more than 30 cattle in broad daylight. “Our cattle went grazing under the watch of a herdsman, but failed to return home in the evening and the herdsman was not reachable on phone, hence we rushed to try and trace the cattle,” he said.
Bishop Alando said a search party was constituted but upon scouting in places where they graze, some witnesses confirmed spotting the suspects along with strangers loading the herd into lorries. He added that they later traced and unearthed the suspect behind the cattle theft racket and reported to the police at Kondele.
Alando further disclosed that the main suspect in the cattle theft saga was traced and located at Khwisero and was arrested and detained at Khwisero police station. “The suspect consented to having stolen the cattle while at Kondele police station and pledged to compensate the owners with Sh1 million,” he further claimed.
The aggrieved family expressed fears that police at Kondele station were reluctant to ensure justice was served to the complainants and pleaded for the intervention of other state agencies. “We want the police to conduct thorough investigations into the cattle theft syndicate and bring all the culprits to book to ensure that racket was contained once and for all,” Bishop Alando demanded.
They claimed that no action was forthcoming even after the Kondele OCS allegedly served as an arbitrator between the aggrieved families and the suspects, who reportedly agreed to pay compensation for the stolen cattle. However, the affected family declined the offer, leaving the case in limbo.
