A G4S Kenya guard contracted by Del Monte Kenya is at the center of a fatal incident that has reignited concerns over corporate-linked violence in the country’s agribusiness sector.
Between 8 am and 9 am on August 8, 2025, the guard knocked down 31-year-old Michael Muiruri in Gatwekera, Murang’a, suspecting him of stealing pineapples. Muiruri, however, was no thief but a local vegetable vendor on his way home from Thika’s Makongeni market, where he had sold his produce earlier that morning.
Muiruri was riding pillion on a motorcycle driven by his friend, 24-year-old Brian Kuria, who survived the attack. Kuria rushed Muiruri to a local clinic, where he received first aid.
Muiruri, clutching his torso and gasping for breath, was referred to Thika Level 5 Hospital. By the time his family arrived, doctors found his vital signs unresponsive. At about 1 pm, they were told their firstborn son, and the family’s sole breadwinner, had succumbed.
A postmortem conducted on August 11, 2025, confirmed the cause of death as multiple injuries resulting from a motor vehicle accident.
The G4S guard was driving a Toyota Hilux, registration KBZ 441E. When Muiruri’s family and Kuria went to Ngati Police Station to report the killing, they encountered the guard again, this time in pursuit of them, nearly knocking them down before they reached the station.
Police impounded the vehicle and Kuria’s motorcycle, which bore visible damage to the rear. The Hilux had a broken fog light and a damaged bull bar, consistent with impact. The incident was recorded under OB number 12/08/08/2025.

This killing fits a disturbing pattern of lethal force and intimidation by security personnel guarding multinational plantations in Kenya.
In December 2023, the bodies of four men were found near Del Monte’s Thika plantation. Witnesses said they were beaten by company guards, thrown into the Chania River, and left to die, accused, without evidence, of stealing pineapples.
A Human Rights Impact Assessment conducted by Partner Africa, and shared with British supermarkets, became public in January 2024 and documented killings, assaults, and intimidation against suspected trespassers and innocent locals at the Thika plantation.
In March 2024, Del Monte announced it had terminated 214 in-house guards and outsourced security operations to G4S. Yet, community members tell the Kenya Human Rights Commission and the Ndula Resource Center that the violence has continued unabated.
G4S itself has a chequered record. In Kwale, KHRC documented cases of torture and rape perpetuated by G4S guards and a special police unit working for Bamburi Portland Cement Ltd, in a long-running land dispute.
KHRC and Ndula Resource Center demand:
- Immediate arrest and prosecution of the G4S guard, with full public disclosure of investigation findings.
- Full compensation for Muiruri’s family, alongside reparations for affected communities.
- Legal accountability for Del Monte and G4S, with strict licensing conditions or suspension for violations.
- Suspension of Del Monte’s SA8000 social accountability certification and ISO9002 certification on quality management systems, and contracts with international buyers until the company meets human rights standards and obligations.
- Reopening and fast-tracking of unresolved cases linked to deaths, torture, and sexual violence involving Del Monte’s security, including the December 2023 killings.