Cattle rustlers cause havoc..14 000 arrested this year

Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development  Joseph Made has said more than 14 000 cattle rustlers have been arrested countrywide in the  first eight months of the year.

During the same period, 4 004 cattle were stolen compared to 4 794 last year.

Police have recorded 1 980 cases of stock theft since the beginning of the year.

Last year, during the first eight months, 2 314 cases were recorded, translating to a 14 percent decrease.

"A total of 650 suspects were arrested for stock theft involving cattle while 13 538 were arrested for related offences this year," Made said.

He said last year 733 suspects were arrested for stock theft while 13 084 people were arrested for committing related cases.

He said he was confident that the cattle branding programme would be fully embraced by all livestock farmers in the country.

"The Government through the Veterinary and Livestock Department is also contributing through the introduction of zonal brands that will further identify cattle with a particular province, district or dip tank.

"These brands will assist the control of cattle movement as a way of monitoring and prevention of the spread of diseases," he said.