Seven arrested in Nyeri over suspected stolen meat trade

Recovered meat suspected to be from stolen cattle displayed after a police raid in Nyeri, amid investigations into an illegal slaughter and distribution network. [Amos Kiarie, Standard]

Seven people in Nyeri have been arrested after officers raided a residential home in the Micha area within Nyeri Town Constituency and discovered large quantities of meat suspected to be from more than three stolen cows.

During the operation, police found some of the meat freshly slaughtered while other portions had been stored in deep freezers, raising fears that the meat was being prepared for sale to unsuspecting members of the public.

Officers also recovered fake meat inspection stamps believed to have been used to disguise the illegal meat trade.

Nyeri County Commissioner Josephat Biwott said security agencies had intensified operations against cattle theft syndicates following increasing cases reported across the county.

“As a county, we have a lot of problems with cattle theft across all sub-counties. We have been working very hard until we reached a point where we sat as a multi-agency security committee and started our investigations to end this syndicate. We also had a meeting with all the bodboda riders in Nyeri,” he said.

He said investigations indicate the suspects were part of a wider network involved in stealing livestock, transporting them into town, slaughtering them illegally and selling the meat.

“Today we have arrested one of the main suspects,” he said.

According to the county commissioner, the prime suspect is believed to have been involved in several other cattle theft incidents in the county.

“As you can see, he has stolen not less than three cows, and there is evidence that there are other cows he stole,” he added.

Police also impounded three vehicles and one motorcycle, suspected of being used in transporting the stolen animals and meat.

“We were following many leads on how to arrest these suspects, and investigations have now begun,” said Watt.

He condemned the illegal trade, saying cattle theft was not only inhuman but also a major economic blow to farmers and a public health risk to consumers.

Jane Njuguna, the Acting Chief Officer for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in Nyeri County, said county officials were alerted by members of the public and immediately rushed to the scene, where they found meat being handled in unhygienic conditions that did not meet the standards required for a licensed slaughterhouse.

She further revealed that the meat inspection stamp recovered at the premises did not match official government records, raising suspicion that fake certification marks were being used to clear the meat for sale.

“We were tipped off and rushed to the scene, where we found that the conditions did not meet the standards required for a slaughterhouse. We also established that the meat inspection stamp recovered at the premises does not match the official government stamp used by certified meat inspectors,” she said.