Fatalities have persisted at Del Monte’s pineapple farm in Kenya’s Murang’a county despite the multinational food company’s decision to contract British security firm G4S for site protection. The arrangement followed Guardian reporting that exposed allegations of violent assaults and killings of individuals suspected of trespassing on the expansive farm, which covers an estimated 40 square kilometers.
Three fatalities have occurred over the preceding year allegedly connected to G4S personnel or law enforcement working alongside them. Last August, a police officer working with G4S guards fatally shot Stephen Marubu Kibandi, 34, in the chest at close range following claims the guards were attacked; witnesses report Kibandi had his hands raised in surrender. In April, Haron Kame Kibandi, 27, died from brain injuries days after reportedly being struck with stones by G4S guards, which caused him to fall from a moving motorbike. Michael Muiruri, 31, was killed when struck by a G4S pickup truck; the driver has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and dismissed from employment.
The security overhaul occurred following a 2023 Guardian investigation revealing allegations of four killings at the facility over a decade. A human rights impact assessment determined the farm was causing human rights harms across multiple areas. Del Monte Kenya contracted a 270-member G4S security team in March 2024, with the company stating at the time that individual safety and security remained top priorities. Later, Kenyan police expanded collaboration with G4S, establishing a critical infrastructure protection unit at the site.
Campaigners and families express concern that police involvement complicates prosecution of lethal force incidents. A Kenyan senator has called for an independent investigation into the violence, stating repeated incidents within a short timeframe suggest systemic issues requiring examination. G4S maintains it denies wrongdoing and states that matters raised either involve police operations or traffic accidents under investigation by authorities. Del Monte Kenya responded that it investigates wrongdoing allegations and takes appropriate action when improper conduct is identified, noting it employs no security guards directly.
The farm operates as Kenya’s largest produce exporter, valued at over $100 million annually and supplying several British supermarkets. Pineapple theft has presented a longstanding security challenge at a location where the average monthly salary is approximately £280.