A water vendor is counting losses after his donkeys were stolen and slaughtered in bush by unknown people in Athi River town yesterday.
Peter Macharia, who has been using the animals for the past seven years said the six donkeys he used for supplying water to Athi River residents were stolen after he had closed work. He revealed he had been feeding the livestock in the field, not far from his residence at 10pm last night before they went missing.
"We had just closed work at around 9.30pm, went feeding the donkeys at nearby field as my employees went to their respective homes before it happened," said Macharia.
He said he had shortly left for his house which is 50 metres away from the area where the donkeys were feeding to pick a jacket after feeling cold, but never found the donkeys on his return.
Macharia said he managed to recover two of the donkeys in the bushes on East African Portland's land after people he suspected to be behind the incident ran away when they launched a search.
He said with the assistance of his workers and friends in the industry, they stormed the bush on a search expedition last night when they found heads, carcases and hooves of the four slaughtered donkeys.
The water vendor said that they also recovered two other donkeys which were alive but wounded by the same assailants.
He disclosed that they also managed to get clothes and documents belonging to a suspect namely, and his ID card at the scene.
Macharia said he had reported the matter at Athi River Police Sating though no arrest have been made so far.
Area Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Ernest Achola, confirmed the incident saying it was a criminal act and a violation of the animals' rights.
He also put the two wounded donkeys on treatment.