4 Bodies Of Men Allegedly Killed For Stealing Pineapples From Del Monte Farm Found In Thika River

• Security guards manning the Del Monte farms are once again back to controversy after four men allegedly died at their hands
• The deceased were said to have trespassed into one of the plantations in Thika, where they harvested the produce without permission
• The families of the deceased implied the guards tortured and killed them, then dumped the bodies into River Thika, where they were found floating

Kiambu county - Four families from Machakos are marking this year's Christmas with grief after their kin were found dead on Monday, December 25.

The four men had left their respective homes on December 18 to find work at a quarry adjoining a vast Del Monte pineapple farm.

It emerges that they later sneaked into one of the plantations, where they started harvesting the produce, oblivious to the imminent tragedy.

Deadly beating

They had it rough at the hands of the supposedly rogue guards protecting the farm.

Their bodies were found floating on River Thika.

According to the bereaved families, their deceased kin were brutally clobbered by the guards who, after confirming they had died, proceeded to throw the bodies into the foregoing river.

Divers strived to retrieve the bodies, which had visible bruises suggesting they had been tortured prior.

Their families faulted the guards for killing the suspects when they would have arrested them and presented them to justice.

"If they found them stealing, why wouldn't they arrest them? They should have taken them to the police. They have been badly beaten, one's neck was injured badly," one of them said.

The food company said it had started a probe into the incident, Citizen TV reported.

Video; Courtesy

Two minors injured by Del Monte guards

In July this year, another group of guards attached to Del Monte was on the spot for injuring two boys alleged to have stolen pineapples from the company's plantation.

According to sources, the boys were run over by the guards who were aboard their van.

The injured duo has been identified as Brian Ingusu and David Lucheri, cousins to each other.

The 17-year-olds were on a motorbike and were headed home to Kihiu Mwiri village from fetching fodder.

The guards on duty spotted and mistook them for pineapple thieves before starting to charge towards them.

Their efforts to flee using the motorbike proved futile as the guards aboard their vehicle caught up with them.

Ingusu was seriously injured in his face, with his rib and right limb getting broken; Lucheri also sustained injuries in the face and legs.

“They chased us and knocked us from behind. I fell unconscious and woke up at the hospital,” Ingusu said.

Owing to their prevalent financial status, the boys' parents asked Delmonte to pay for the duo's medical bills at the Thika Level 5 Hospital, where they were getting treatment.