More than 200 stolen pineapples were recovered and returned to Del Monte farm in Murang’a County.
The 263 fruits had been stolen from the farm when security guards on patrol stumbled on a group of about ten suspects.
The group abandoned two motorcycles they were using in their mission and escaped on foot.
This was after police accompanying the guards shot to the air to scare the suspects. They had earlier on stoned the guards without knowledge they were accompanied by armed police in the Wednesday April 17 incident.
The officers shot to the air scaring the group which escaped. No injuries were reported.
Police launched “Operation Linda Mananasi” in the area to address the menace of stealing of the products.
Murang’a County Police Commander David K. Mathiu has been leading the operation with local team within Ithanga/Kakuzi Sub-county with a view of arresting and preventing agricultural produces from being stolen.
This followed complaints from the farm management there is rampant stealing of the products from the expansive farm.
Mathiu said a successful operation with officers drawn from other sub counties sealed the vast farm and also recovered ten cars, dozens of motorcycles and tuktuk that were being used in the theft.
He said the operation will continue to ensure the farm enjoys their business.
Past operations by the farm led to clashes between their security and suspected thieves which turned fatal.
The vast plantation is estimated to cover at least 40 sq kilometers of the area of Murang’a.
The farm has public roads going through it and directly employs 237 security guards.
Guards on the farm are typically armed with rungus.
Their use in security is legal and common in Kenya because of the risk of violent theft, including from young men who regularly go in organized groups to steal pineapples, but the claims suggest the guards’ use of violence has been excessive.
The scale of theft has resulted in clashes with guards, who have themselves been injured, including one reportedly losing an eye after a stone was thrown by a thief.
The claims of violence by Del Monte security guards over a number of years raise serious questions about the company’s processes and due diligence at the farm.
In 2019, five guards at the farm were charged with murdering a man who strayed in a pineapple plantation.
The murder occurred on the night of April 20 and April 21, 2019 in Del Monte farm within Gatanga sub-county.
Police said Bernard Murigi was assaulted by the five to his death.
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