IG Kanja launches special police unit to boost security at Del Monte

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja officially launched a specialized security unit aimed at enhancing protection at Del Monte Kenya amid rising crime concerns targeting the firm’s operations.

The Administration Police Service Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit (CIPU) – Del Monte Sector was unveiled on Thursday as part of a broader strategy to secure key investments, employees, and surrounding communities.

Kanja said the deployment will adopt an intelligence-led approach, strengthen surveillance, and improve rapid response to security threats in the area.

He warned criminal elements targeting the expansive farm that their “days are numbered,” noting the unit is fully prepared to tackle the menace.

The Inspector General explained that the initiative was informed by concerns raised during the Jukwaa la Usalama – Kiambu Chapter, where stakeholders called for more coordinated and community-focused security interventions.

The new unit is expected to maintain a sustained police presence while fostering closer collaboration between law enforcement and local communities.

Del Monte Kenya Managing Director Wayne Cook welcomed the move, describing it as a partnership grounded in responsible and community-conscious policing.

He said the initiative will help address emerging security challenges while ensuring the safety of both company operations and neighbouring residents.

Deputy Inspector General of the Administration Police Service Gilbert Masengeli, who accompanied Kanja, underscored the importance of protecting critical investments, noting that such efforts are key to safeguarding livelihoods and supporting economic stability.

The establishment of the unit follows a spike in crime targeting produce and operations at the Del Monte farm, prompting authorities to adopt a more structured and coordinated security response.

There has been a spike in crime targeting products at the expansive farm.

This has prompted the creation of the new unit.

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 Muranga.

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 organised 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.

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 Delmonte farm within Gatanga sub-county.