Naivasha residents raise the alarm over donkey theft

Residents rely on donkeys to ferry water to earn a living. [File, Standard]

Water vendors in Naivasha are up in arms over a resurgence of donkey theft and slaughter in the last two months.

Vendors said more than 20 donkeys had been stolen in Naivasha in the last three months, with most of them slaughtered and the meat ferried to unknown places.

This came after unknown persons raised a home in Mirera estate in the wee hours and slaughtered three donkeys.

One of the water vendors Peter Kihara said the theft had left residents who relied on donkeys to ferry water without a source of living.

He said that donkey theft had stopped in the last two years and the recent cases caught them by surprise, with informal settlements being the most affected.

“In the last three months we have lost over twenty donkeys that have been stolen and we suspect that this is being done by the same group,” he said.

Kihara called on security officers to help contain the cases, warning that water vendors would deal ruthlessly with anyone found stealing their donkeys.

Meanwhile, the Naivasha Water and Sanitation Company has reconnected supply to Kayole estate after two water pumps serving the estate that is located off the Nairobi-Nakuru highway broke down, forcing residents to buy water for the past week.

A day after they were repaired, a contractor involved in the construction of the Rironi-Mau Summit expressway severed a section of the water pipe, further worsening the situation.

The water company Managing Director Nahashon Wahome said the water problem in the estate had now been addressed.

He said that the main water pump broke down and as it was being repaired, the backup also crushed, leaving the estate without water.

“We moved in fast to repair the two pipes and on the same day that they were operational, one of the main pipes along the highway was cut off,” he said.

Wahome revealed that the company had incurred huge losses from the ongoing works, with several pipes cut off, rendering several estates along the highway without water.

“We are working closely with the contractor on the issues of the damaged water pipes as these are two government projects meant to support Kenyans,” he said.