Avocados worth millions of shillings are stolen daily by marauding gangs in Murang’a county leading to increased panic among the farmers.
The farmers recounted how the gangs steal their high valued produce, vandalise irrigation systems and terrorise their employees when they strike.
In a meeting convened by the local county commissioner Joshua Nkanatha, the farmers through their Patron Nduati Kariuki and Murang’a Avocado Farmers Union Chairman John Mwaniki expressed displeasure over the manner criminal gangs were using probox, and motorcycles to ferry the stolen commodity to the market and processing plants.
The avocado farmers leaders recounted how the farmers since February have been at the mercy of the gangs invading their farms, harvesting and transporting the produce to the market and the processing factories.
Mr Nkanatha banned transportation of avocados between 6 pm and 6 am in efforts to curb theft, spelling out tough measures to deal with the law breakers. ” Transportation of the produce on boda bodas have also been banned. Also, the avocado collection centres in the market centres should be closed with immediate effect,” said the county commissioner.
Mwaniki said farmers are counting losses following the presence of the marauding gangs in their villages. Mwaniki hinted that the merchants buy the stolen fruits at low prices, only to sell at big profit to the processors and exporters.
” We have suffered for a long time and the measures employed by the security committee will help end the problems faced by the small-scale farmers,” said Mwaniki.
Nduati, a former speaker at Murang’a County Assembly, said there was a need for police to increase patrols to deal with the marauding gangs. Nduati said it was pathetic that the small-scale farmers had been forced to spend nights in their farms guarding their fruits from the rogues.
“We need a guide to ensure the processors will not be allowed to receive the fruits during the night as a way of discouraging theft of avocados,” said Nduati. John Mwangi regretted that the gangs were connected with the processing plants calling on the management to stop allowing supply at night.
” The farmers have suffered for years owing to the unholy alliance between the rogues and the processors to perfect theft of the produce from the small holder’s farms,” said Mwangi.
Three weeks ago, a gang was cornered by police in the Wempa area loading stolen avocados into a waiting pickup. The suspects were arraigned before Kenol court as the vehicle remained at Kenol Police Station.
