Kakamega, Kenya: In Kakamega County, poultry farmers now keep their birds in their houses rather than in coops outside the way it used to be. Most farmers say there have been increased incidents of poultry theft, which has prompted them to come up with their own security measures.
The most common one is to construct a poultry unit inside the main house despite the noise the chickens cause.
“I decide to keep my chickens inside the house because they were being stolen almost every day, causing me huge losses. Even though they are very noisy, I have no other option of securing them from thieves,” says Rose Nakhumwa, a poultry farmer in Namakoye village in Navakholo Sub-county.
As people fear for their lives so do they fear for their animals, which have been targeted by thieves and wild animals.
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But large-scale poultry farmer Herbert Ligaya has too many birds to accommodate in his house. Instead, he has built a poultry unit on his farm that accommodates more than 1,000 birds – he has more than 100 chickens as well as Japanese and Chinese quails.
To keep his birds safe, Ligaya has to go the extra mile and dig deeper into his pockets.
His latest security measures include two strong men, barbed wire and dogs to guard his poultry unit.
“I have fenced my compound and have two men who guard my farm with support from my dogs. This has enhanced security even though it is still not enough” says Ligaya.
Most residents in the county have appealed to the central government and security agencies to boost their security by patrolling and also arresting suspects who have continued to threaten their lives and cause them to live in fear.
They have also urged the central and county government to launch the security campaign not only in big towns but also across the country as all Kenyans need security from thieves and terrorists alike.
