Nairobi — Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has proposed tough regulations that if passed into law will see livestock rustlers imprisoned for life.
In his proposed Bill on Prevention of Livestock and Produce Theft Bill, the second-term Senator wants offenders found guilty of using violence in the course of stealing livestock to be sentenced to life imprisonment as their punishment.
“This is a piece of legislation that aims to prevent, combat, and eradicate livestock theft in Kenya,” he said.
In the regulations, offenses related to livestock or produce theft, including stealing livestock or produce, receiving stolen livestock or produce, and entering enclosed land with the intention of stealing livestock or produce will attract a punishment of imprisonment for not less than twenty years.
The Senator further wants offenses related to the sale or trade of livestock between 6:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. to be jailed for up to twelve months or a fine of up to eight hundred thousand shillings, or both.
The other offenses include the use of unregistered brands, including failure to apply for registration, failure to brand livestock, and branding with an unregistered brand that will attract a punishment of imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to one hundred thousand shillings, or both.
Offenses related to branding another person’s livestock, including branding with a brand that is not the recorded brand of the owner, altering or defacing any brand to conceal or disguise the identification of such livestock will result in imprisonment for up to fourteen years or a fine of up to one million shillings or both.
Offenses related to driving, conveying, or transporting livestock or produce along a public road without lawful authority, including not possessing the required documents of identification and removal permit will result in imprisonment for up to seven years or a fine of up to five hundred thousand shillings or both.
Cherargei said the Act if enacted will provide the regulation of the activities of livestock owners in relation to their livestock, and the disarmament and return of illegally acquired firearms and ammunition.
“When this law shall be in place for sure animal theft shall be dealt with accordingly thus the banditry menace will reduce or end completely,” he said.
