Tension is building within Delmonte Kenya Limited (DKL) plantation after marauding youth specialized in stealing pineapples on Friday clashed with G4S Guards.
More than 100 youth riding motorcycles clashed with the G4S guards in section 47 near Kihiu Mwiri village, as they forced their way inside the plantation to harvest the pineapples.
The incident happened in Ithanga/ Kakuzi sub county, four days after the management of DKL fired its guards before engaging the services of G4S to provide 270 highly trained guards to provide 24 hours security in his plantations spread across the counties of Murang’a, Kiambu and Machakos.
An eye witness disclosed that the gang stormed the plantation in section 47, overpowered the guards who had formed a human wall to block access.
” It was a fierce fight as the gang clashed with the guards, an incident that left two seriously injured. It resembles a Hollywood movie watching the youths fighting with guards,” said the witness, calling on the government to take urgent measures to avert bloodshed in the future.
In the ensuing battles,the witnesses added that the gang took control of a vehicle the guards were using in their patrols, ejected the driver.
They drove the vehicle for a distance before it was involved in a self-in accident where it was abandoned.
Murang’a County Police Commander Mr David Mathiu confirmed the incident saying police were mobilized and moved to the plantations.
” Let it be warned that the plantation is a private property and invasion will not be entertained, ” said Mathiu.
“In the past two weeks more than 20,000 pineapples have been seized from the gangs and returned to the fruit processor,” said Mathiu.
The police, he warned , will not sit and watch the gang raid the pineapple plantations.
On Wednesday this week, police arrested more than 242 suspects for stealing and selling stolen pineapples in various parts among them Kenol, and Kabati.
The 230 suspects were fined sh4.3 million at Kenol law court as more than 3,000 pineapples were traced in a house at Kabati market.
Utility
In the past three months, gangs have been penetrating the plantations with motorcycles, tuk tuks and pick up ferrying the stolen fruits.
DKL say it loses fruits worth millions of shillings daily to the criminal gangs