Suguta Valley farmer counting losses after herders break into her farm

Suguta Valley farmer counting losses after herders break into her farm

A farmer in the volatile Suguta Valley is counting losses amounting to Ksh 10 million after a group of armed herders drove their livestock into her farm destroying crops.

A group of about ten herders, armed with crude weapons, destroyed the electric fence before forcing their animals into her irrigated farm.

The herders are said to have scared off the man charged with the mandate of taking care of the homestead threatening to shoot him if he attempted to stop them from grazing their animals in the farm.

“I heard some footsteps outside as I was sleeping. When I went to check, I found a herd of about 200 cattle being grazed in the farm. The armed herders got futile when I asked why they were destroying my crops. I had to flee for my safety,” said Ms Lydia Lengees.

Ms Lengees said her crops; onions, tomatoes, nappier grass, bananas and water melons, were completely destroyed by the livestock as the herders vandalized her watering system.

“I could not believe that my crops were no more. The farm is now an open field and the watering pipes that I used to irrigate the crop are now plain shells.”

She accused herders who are using force to grace in a nearby Muggie Ranch for causing the damage to her property.

Residents of Suguta Valley are now appealing to the national government to take action by evicting the herders from private ranches in the region.

Written by Erick Kombo

Tags:

cattle Ranch crops Drought cases suguta valley

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