Del Monte under fire as senators probe brutality, deaths linked to pineapple theft accusations
Legislators are demanding answers from security agencies and the company, including details on the number of cases, the perpetrators involved, and measures taken to prevent further human rights abuses.
Senators have opened investigations into allegations of torture and killings at Del Monte farms in Thika and Murang’a counties, amid claims that people accused of stealing pineapples have been subjected to brutality and, in some cases, death.
Legislators are demanding answers from security agencies and the company, including details on the number of cases, the perpetrators involved, and measures taken to prevent further human rights abuses.
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Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu sounded the alarm in the Senate on Tuesday, calling the incidents “a grave human rights concern that demands urgent attention.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is deeply troubling that for years, people accused of petty theft have reportedly been subjected to torture and even killed. We must not allow impunity to thrive under the guise of farm security,” Nyutu said.
He asked the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations to investigate the matter thoroughly—establishing the number of cases reported since 2010 and reviewing findings from Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) probes, particularly those involving security personnel found culpable.
“We must know how many have been held accountable, and what justice has been served to the victims’ families,” Nyutu added.
The senator also urged scrutiny of Del Monte Kenya Limited’s role, calling for reforms to prevent excessive use of force and to strengthen engagement with local communities.
“The company must work with local communities and security agencies to resolve the root causes rather than respond with brutality,” he said, further suggesting that Del-Monte consider compensating victims’ families.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Ndula Resource Centre recently issued five demands following the killing of 31-year-old vegetable vendor Michael Muiruri.
G4S guard
Muiruri was allegedly killed on August 8, 2025, by a G4S guard contracted by Del Monte in Gatwekera, Murang’a. According to reports, the guard—suspecting Muiruri of pineapple theft—rammed him with a Toyota Hilux (registration KBZ 441E). At the same time, he rode as a pillion passenger on a motorcycle driven by his friend, 24-year-old Brian Kuria.
In reality, Muiruri had been returning home from Thika’s Makongeni market after selling vegetables. He was rushed to a local clinic and later referred to Thika Level 5 Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 1:00 pm. A post-mortem conducted on August 11 confirmed he died from multiple injuries consistent with a motor vehicle accident.
“The G4S guard was driving a Toyota Hilux, registration KBZ 441E. Police later impounded the vehicle and Kuria’s motorcycle, both bearing visible damage consistent with the reported impact,” the rights group said in a statement.
When Muiruri’s family and Kuria went to report the incident at Ngati Police Station, the same guard allegedly pursued them, nearly causing another accident. The case is recorded under OB number 12/08/08/2025.
Intimidation and excessive force
KHRC and Ndula Resource Centre argue that the killing reflects a wider pattern of intimidation and excessive force by security personnel on multinational plantations.
They cited a December 2023 incident where four men accused of stealing pineapples were beaten, thrown into the Chania River, and left to die near Del Monte’s Thika plantation.
A Human Rights Impact Assessment by Partner Africa, published in January 2024, had already documented killings, assaults, and intimidation at the plantation.
Although Del Monte announced in March 2024 that it had terminated 214 in-house guards and outsourced security to G4S, community members say abuses persist.
Torture and rape
G4S itself has faced previous accusations of torture and rape in Kwale during a land dispute involving Bamburi Portland Cement Ltd.
The rights groups further noted that on August 12, as residents protested Muiruri’s killing, police officers backed by G4S guards opened fire, fatally shooting 30-year-old Stephen Marubu at Del-Monte’s Pineapple Field No. 19 near Kakuzi Road.
They expressed alarm at what they described as the growing militarisation of Kenya’s agribusiness sector, pointing out that Marubu’s death came soon after the government announced the Presidential Proclamation on the Framework for Compensation of Victims of Protests and Riots.
“This latest killing shows the persistence of police brutality and exposes the William Ruto regime’s lack of genuine commitment to ending such senseless violence,” the groups said.
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