The National Police Service (NPS) on Sunday, June 29, announced the recovery of a dozen stolen cattle in Igembe North, Meru County, following a report filed three days earlier at Kangeta Police Station.

According to a statement shared via NPS’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, the livestock were found hidden in a bush in the Ndumuru area during a routine patrol on Saturday, June 28.

“Police officers on patrol yesterday recovered twelve head of cattle concealed in the Ndumuru area, days after the theft was reported,” read the statement.

The recovered animals were safely escorted to the Bullow area in Igembe North and returned to their rightful owners. NPS reaffirmed its resolve to tackle cattle rustling and safeguard property in collaboration with local communities.

The operation follows a similar recovery effort along the Kenya-Uganda border, where officers intercepted stolen livestock taken during an armed cross-border raid in Turkana.

Ugandan officials had raised the alarm on June 25 after suspected Turkana youths reportedly crossed into Uganda and drove away livestock. The alert prompted a swift response from Kenyan authorities.

“Officers mobilized quickly to cut off escape routes and engaged the suspects, forcing them to abandon the animals during an exchange of gunfire,” NPS said in a separate update.

All livestock stolen in the cross-border raid were recovered and returned, according to the police.

The back-to-back recoveries highlight ongoing efforts to address livestock theft, a persistent issue in Kenya’s pastoral and border regions.