Police have nabbed eight individuals who are suspected of looting a government cereal store and running away with fertiliser worth over Ksh29 million.
According to a report from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), an intelligence-led operation conducted in Luluma Village, Makiri area, and Maua Township by officers from Igembe South Sub-County resulted in the arrest of eight suspects and the recovery of 63 bags of government fertiliser stolen during the June 25 demonstrations.
During the operation, the officers managed to nab one motor vehicle, a silver Probox, and three motorcycles, which are believed to have been used in the transportation of the stolen goods.
''The operation also led to the seizure of one motor vehicle, a silver Probox with registration number withheld, and three motorcycles, believed to have been used to transport the stolen goods. Additionally, eight bags of cement were recovered along with the stolen fertiliser,'' a police report read in part.
In a statement issued on Friday, June 27, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe confirmed that government stores had been vandalised and fertiliser worth Ksh29 million looted. He termed the incident a “direct assault on Kenya’s food security,” noting that the stolen inputs were meant to support farmers during the critical ongoing planting season.
“The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development unequivocally condemns the vandalism and looting of the NCPB depot in Maua, Meru County, on June 25, 2025,” Kagwe stated.
During the looting, footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed citizens carrying sacks of fertiliser from the depot, seemingly taking advantage of the chaos brought about by the protests.
The clips later showed a section of the depot set ablaze as the events threatened to turn violent. Notably, authorities were nowhere to be seen in the footage captured.
Meanwhile, in Malindi, Kilifi County, 14 suspects were apprehended following a forensic analysis that linked them to property vandalism during the recent protests.
All the suspects are currently in custody, undergoing processing pending arraignment, as the police report revealed that law enforcement officers are following more leads to apprehend additional suspects and recover looted items.
Over the weekend, the DCI nabbed over ten individuals believed to have been behind the destruction of property and mayhem witnessed during the protests.
However, the arrests have been met with criticism from human rights organisations. In a statement on Monday, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) claimed that the three had been arrested on trumped-up charges and demanded that they be released unconditionally.
