Eight suspects have been arrested and part of more than 7354 stolen bags of fertiliser recovered following the violent looting and vandalism of the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depot in Maua, Meru County, last week.
Authorities believe the raid was politically motivated and have since ordered all NCPB depots nationwide to install CCTV systems to deter similar incidents.
According to DCIO Maua, Alex Wasike, the looters used motorbikes and Probox vehicles to transport the stolen goods, some of which have been recovered.
Depot Manager Abednego Sangolo revealed that the damage exceeded Ksh 29 million, as the depot’s office was torched and equipment vandalised.
“The looters torched the depot’s main office, stole office stationery, cereals, and vandalised the mobile seed dryer,” he said.
OCPD Eliakim Silgich of Igembe South noted that while police responded quickly, they were overwhelmed by the sheer size of the crowd. “Such atrocious attacks in the future will be met with equal force. There is no room for anarchy,” he said.
Local farmers and community members have condemned the attack, warning that it undermines critical government support programs in the region.
The arrests and recovery efforts are ongoing as security agencies pursue more suspects and assess the full extent of the damage.
