By GASTONE VALUSI
Frustrated by the theft of coffee worth millions of shillings and what they describe as slow progress in police investigations, coffee farmers at Unyuani Coffee Factory in Kangundo have resorted to invoking the Kamba traditional Kithitu oath in a bid to unmask those behind the crime.
A seven-day public notice written in both Kikamba and English was on Tuesday pinned on posts around Unyuani, warning anyone involved in or with information about the theft to confess or report to the authorities or risk facing the consequences associated with the traditional oath.
The notice, dated July 21, 2025, read in part:
“MITHENYA 7 NO, KITHITU.”
It further stated in Kikamba:
“TWANENGANE NOTICE KWA MEMBER. KANA MUNDU ULA WISI KAAWA ULA WA MBILIU FARMERS CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY WOONYWE KITHIINI KYA UNYUANI FACTORY VALA UI AETE. REPORT YU KUMA MATUKU 22-28 JULY.”
Translated into English, the notice reads:
“Notice to members. Anyone who knows about the stolen coffee belonging to Mbiliu Farmers Co-operative Society at Unyuani Factory should report between July 22 and July 28. Seven days, then Kithitu.”
Factory Manager John Muli Kaloki said the robbery occurred at about 2 a.m. when a gang of armed raiders stormed the factory.
“The thieves attacked the night guards with pangas, tied their hands and legs with ropes before stealing more than 70 bags of coffee from the store,” said Kaloki.
He said 37 of the stolen bags had already been sorted and were ready for milling. The gang also stole a water pump used at the factory.
“I arrived at the factory at around 4 a.m. after receiving the alert. I found the three guards tied up with ropes and nursing deep panga cuts,” he said.
The injured guards were rushed to Kangundo Level 4 Hospital for treatment.
Unyuani Coffee Factory serves more than 550 registered farmers, who now face significant financial losses following the raid.
Kaloki appealed to security agencies to intensify night patrols around coffee factories, saying regular patrols had previously helped deter criminal gangs targeting the crop.
He also called on Kangundo MP Fabian Kyule to intervene and support affected farmers while urging investigators to expedite the probe.
“I appeal for speedy investigations to ensure those responsible are arrested and brought to justice. I also urge members to remain patient as investigations continue,” he said.
The decision to invoke Kithitu—a traditional Kamba oath believed by many in the community to bring misfortune upon thieves or those who conceal the truth—underscores the frustration among farmers over the pace of the investigation.
Community elders say the oath is traditionally invoked when conventional dispute resolution or justice mechanisms appear to have failed. They believe it serves as a moral and cultural warning intended to compel anyone with knowledge of a crime to come forward within the stipulated period.
Police have not publicly linked the theft to any suspects, and investigations into the robbery are ongoing.
