Kirinyaga family loses livestock after suspected arson attack

A family in Gitoo-ini village, located in Mwea Constituency, Kirinyaga County, has suffered significant financial losses after an unidentified group set fire to their livestock in a suspected arson attack. The incident occurred on Saturday, September 26, 2026, while Muriithi Thuita, a village elder, was away tending to his daily tasks.

Muriithi received a phone call informing him of the fire when he was planting rice several kilometers from his home. Upon returning, he found residents attempting to control the flames, but many of his animals had already succumbed to the inferno. The blaze claimed the lives of a bull, a goat, three sheep, and three chickens. Muriithi noted that the loss of these animals would severely impact his family's ability to sustain themselves, as the goat provided milk and the bull was utilized for farm work and water-fetching.

The community has expressed shock at the audacity of unknown individuals to target a homestead in this manner, with Jotham Murimi, a resident, stating that this kind of incident had never been witnessed in the area. Residents are demanding a thorough investigation by security agencies to determine the cause of the fire and to apprehend those responsible.

They also urge the Kirinyaga County Government to enhance firefighting capabilities by distributing fire engines to all sub-counties, proposing that a fire engine closer to the area could have prevented further animal casualties. The motive and identity of the perpetrators remain unknown.