At least 18 sheep which were stolen when a gang raided Northlands farm in Ruiru, Kiambu county, last month have been returned, the farm's security manager Patrick Masinde says.
More than 1,400 pricey Dorper sheep were carted away by goons who raided the farm belonging to the family of former President Uhuru Kenyatta on March 27, 2023.
In the latest development, Masinde said persons believed to have benefited from the loot have been dropping some of the animals near the farm and neighbouring police stations.
According to the manager, five of the recovered sheep were found abandoned at Dandora Police Station, where they were identified through special marks on the animals.
Masinde told Nation that the recovered sheep are emaciated due to poor husbandry.
“These are not traditional breeds that feed anyhow. We urge all holding our stock to return them peacefully," Masinde said.
The animals were recovered weeks after a group of elderly women who identified themselves as Mau Mau freedom fighters allegedly uttered a curse on the intruders, promising them untoward suffering.
The women asked the persons behind the attack to voluntarily return the loot and seek cleansing to ward off the curse.
Similarly, a group of elders from the Kikuyu Council of Elders on April 10 condemned the incident and threatened to curse the goons for disrespecting the family of Kenya's first President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
"We want even the bipartisan talks that are being mooted to spare a session to discuss such an act of aggression to a family that carries immense historical importance in the community and the country at large," Rigami Ciombou, one of the elders, said.
The farm manager, however, suggested that the intruders opted to return the livestock for fear of victimisation after photos showing the gang stealing and selling the sheep to motorists at throw-away prices went viral on social media.
The gang had invaded the multi-billion property well-armed with machetes and power saws before they began to cut down eucalyptus trees as others made away with sheep grazing on the farm.
The attacks were linked to the Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya coalition protests that a section of the Kenya Kwanza leaders claims were sponsored by Uhuru.
Similar attacks were witnessed at opposition leader Raila Odinga's East Africa Spectre Limited, a gas plant situated along Mombasa Road.
