Kirinyaga Self Help Group Heartbroken After Cow They Saved To Buy Is Stolen Days To Christmas

• The residents of Ngiriambu village in Gichugu sub-county, Kirinyaga County, are grappling with the rising menace of livestock theft
• The latest victim is the Gikingi Self-Help Group who, after months of diligent savings, were left disheartened as the cow they purchased for Christmas celebrations was stolen
• Leads from concerned villagers pointed the group towards the Kianyaga-Kiamutugu road, where they discovered what they believed to be the carcass of the cow

The festive spirit in Ngiriambu village, Kirinyaga county, has been overshadowed by a wave of livestock thefts, leaving 43 members of the Gikingi Self-Help Group heartbroken.

Why did the self-help group buy a cow?

In the most recent incident, the group, which has been saving diligently for months, discovered the cow they had purchased for KSh 50,000 to celebrate was stolen just days to Christmas.

The group's hopes were shattered when leads directed them to the Kianyaga-Kiamutugu road, where they stumbled upon what they believed to be the remains of their stolen cow.

A report by Citizen Digital indicated Comba Thitha, the group's secretary, expressed their disappointment, stating,

“We have been saving KSh 200 every month to buy the cow, and we bought it at KSh 50,000 for our families to celebrate the new year but the cow has been stolen.”

George Kunguru, the chairman of the group, shared their long-standing tradition of buying a cow for end-of-year celebrations,

According to him, this was the first theft incident since the group's inception over a decade ago.

Thieves might have had inside information

"We started the Gikingi self-help group in Ngiriambu village over 10 years ago, but this time we won't celebrate as a cow worth KSh 50,000 has been stolen by unknown people,” he said.

Pauline Wairimu, a group member, pointed out the alarming trend of livestock thefts in the area, suggesting that the thieves might have gained some private information.

“They conduct the theft during the night and slaughter the livestock near our homestead," she remarked.

"We believe the people behind the theft are insiders because it is strange how they knew exactly when we bought the cow and other details,” added Wairimu.

The group reported the theft at Kiamutugu police station and urged anyone with information to help track the culprits.

As the community faces this setback, the Gikingi Self-Help Group hopes for justice and a return to the joyous celebrations planned for the festive season.

Man says he has no regrets for stealing friend's wife

In a separate story, TV presenter Monty Don spoke about his relationship and subsequent marriage to his wife of 40 years, Sarah.

He disclosed that he met the beautiful woman while she was already married to a man he was friends with.

The Mirror reports that as much as Don broke up his friend's marriage, he has no regrets about how their romance started.

According to the media personality, he fell in love with Sarah when she was still married to a wealthy botanist.