Nakuru: 2 Families Counting Losses after Trees Worth Millions are Injected with Mysterious Chemicals
- Trees worth over KSh 3 million have been mysteriously rotting in Olenguruone, Kuresoi South, for the last few days
- Owners of the trees suspect a neighbour injected them with an unknown chemical, which they believe is causing the damage
- Agnes Koech, whose farm with over 600 trees was targeted, said she hoped to sell them and pay school fees for her children
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Nakuru: Two families in Olenguruone, Kuresoi South, are counting losses in millions of shillings after an individual allegedly injected over 700 of their trees with an unknown chemical substance, leading to their rotting and eventual death.
Source: Original
Agnes Koech, a resident of Kabugunot village, said that her 630 trees, comprising 600 blue gum trees and 30 cypress trees valued at KSh 2.6 million, have been rotting and dying mysteriously.
She hoped to use the trees to pay school fees for her children. However, after reporting the matter to the police, she was advised not to cut them down as the matter was being investigated.
“I reported the matter to Kiptagich Police Station, and Kenya Forest Service (KWS) officers were directed to check on the substance injected into the trees. They came and took samples for their investigations,” Koech said.
After KFS concluded their investigations, they forwarded their report to the police and a suspect was identified and summoned. However, the suspect’s mother presented herself to the police, who arrested her as the hunt for her son continued.
Why Kuresoi man injected trees with mysterious chemical
In the same village, Michael Tanui, whose 150 trees were also affected by the mysterious chemical, said the suspect had demanded that he cut them down because the roots were allegedly extending to his farm.
Tanui suspects his decision to decline the demand from the man was the reason behind his action that damaged his trees worth over KSh 700,000.
“He threatened us with consequences if we don’t cut the trees and he said that there was nowhere we could take him,” he said.
He also reported the matter to the Kiptagic Police Station before seeking intervention from KFS to assess the damage caused by the chemical.
But even as a probe into the incident continues, the two families have accused the state agencies of attempting to block their quest for justice, wondering why the police have not yet arrested the suspect.
“The trees had been damaged with breakage and injection of an unknown chemical substance, causing oozing of gum and rotting of bark and wood,” KFS officer Anthony Wamai said in a communication to Kiptagich Police Station OCS.
He estimated the value of the damaged trees to be over KSh 3 million.
Kakamega maize sprayed with harmful chemicals
Previously, TUKO.co.ke reported that a family in Kongoni village, Likuyani sub-county, was counting losses after their maize farm mysteriously dried.
The family suspect the maize had been sprayed with harmful chemicals in a row over land inheritance.
One of the family members was linked to the incident after he allegedly objected to a decision by his late father to give a portion of the land to his sisters.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Joshua Cheloti (Editorial assistant) Joshua Cheloti is a multi-skilled journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. He holds a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media and Communication at Mount Kenya University. At TUKO, he's an editorial assistant. Before TUKO, he worked at Nairobi Review as an editorial writer, at Hope Media (Hope TV and Hope FM) as a correspondent in Eldoret, Hivisasa.com digital content editor and online writer, at Biblia Husema Broadcasting (BHB), Eldoret as Radio Presenter. Email: Joshua.cheloti@tuko.co.ke
Elijah Cherutich A trained Kenyan journalist with over 10 years of experience in radio and digital media. I am currently based in Nakuru city in the Rift Valley region working as a TUKO.co.ke correspondent.
