- Gichugu coffee farmers say thieves are uprooting entire coffee stems during church services.
- Farmers link the thefts to rising coffee prices and want stronger security action.
- Residents have increased surveillance and are working with police to curb the raids.
Coffee farmers in Gichugu, Kirinyaga, are counting losses as thieves uproot entire coffee stems, timing raids to when residents are away.
According to farmers, the criminals no longer strip cherries from the bushes. Instead, they pull out whole stems and vanish with them to undisclosed locations.
One farmer said he once stayed behind on a Sunday to guard his farm. Armed men carrying a panga confronted him, overpowered him and escaped with the uprooted stems.
READ:
The farmers link the surge in theft to sharply rising coffee prices, which they say have turned the crop into an easy target for criminals.
The thefts are not confined to farms. Residents allege that criminals are also raiding empty homes to steal household property.
The farmers believe those responsible are members of the local community and say they will work with security agencies to track them down.
Residents have stepped up vigilance and are deepening ties with security agencies, hopeful that stronger community surveillance will curb the wave of coffee theft in the area.
By Jonathan Mwinzi
Get more stories from our website: Sacco Review.
For comments and clarifications, write to: Saccoreview@
Kindly follow us via our social media pages on Facebook: Sacco Review Newspaper for timely updates
Stay ahead of the pack! Grab the latest Sacco Review newspaper!
