Two arrested over theft of coffee worth Ksh.1 million in Kirinyaga, motorcycle torched

The incident occurred at around 3am on Thursday when four suspects allegedly raided the factory and attempted to steal eight bags of coffee from a drying area.

Two suspects have been arrested while two others escaped following an attempted theft of coffee valued at over Ksh.1 million at Ngungu Grower Coffee Society in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County.

TwoAccording to the society's chairperson, Ruth Wanjiru Maina, the suspects were intercepted while loading the coffee after two night guards raised the alarm, attracting residents from Ngungu and neighbouring villages.

The guards reportedly fled to seek assistance after discovering the intruders, prompting residents to rush to the factory and confront the suspects.

Peter Maina, a resident of Riakithiga, said the suspects had arrived at the factory on an electric motorcycle, which allowed them to approach the premises without attracting attention.

"The electric motorcycle was silent. They arrived here unheard because an electric motorcycle does not make noise," one of the guards said.

Residents managed to apprehend two suspects, while their two accomplices escaped during the confrontation.

According to Maina, the arrested suspects claimed to be from Karumandi and Ngungu, while those who escaped were reportedly from Kiangothe and Ithareini.

One of the suspects who escaped was alleged to have been acting as a broker in the coffee theft operation.

"They said the man from Ithareini was the broker," Maina said.

Angry residents subsequently set the electric motorcycle used by the suspects on fire.

The society's chairperson confirmed that the eight bags of coffee, valued at more than Ksh.1 million, had been removed from the drying area before the suspects were intercepted.

"It is unfortunate the broker of the thieves is in Ithare, which is very near the factory. It is sad," Wanjiru said.

Police officers and detectives arrived at the scene and launched investigations into the incident as efforts to trace the two fleeing suspects continued.

The attempted theft comes amid growing concerns over coffee theft in Kirinyaga County, where farmers say they have been forced to spend nights guarding their plantations to protect their harvests.

In Kiamuruga, Kirinyaga Central, farmers have raised concerns over suspected thieves who invade coffee plantations at night, harvesting both ripe and unripe berries.

Farmers Dennis Maina, Joseph Murimi and Jamleck Kibui said the persistent thefts have forced them to abandon their normal sleeping routines and patrol their farms overnight.

"They are uprooting whole branches and harvesting both ripe and unripe coffee at night," Maina said.

Kibui said some farmers have spent more than two months guarding their plantations following repeated incidents of theft.

He recounted an incident on Monday when farmers apprehended a suspected coffee thief at around 2am after finding him harvesting coffee using a torch strapped to his head.

"He never knew we were guarding. He was harvesting with a torch tied on his head so that he could see where he was harvesting," Kibui said.

The farmers lamented that the thefts were undermining their livelihoods, with months of labour and investment at risk of being lost to criminals targeting the crop during the harvesting season.