NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 13 – The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has condemned what it terms the “militarisation” of security operations at Del Monte pineapple plantations.The rights agency expressed concern over the situation following the killing of two men in four days in incidents involving police and G4S guards contracted by the company.In a statement on Wednesday, KHRC said the latest victim, 30-year-old Stephen Marubu, was shot dead on Tuesday during protests over the earlier death of vegetable vendor Michael Muiruri, 31, who was fatally knocked down last week by a G4S guard.Police, reportedly backed by G4S personnel, opened fire at Del Monte’s Pineapple Field Number 19, adjacent to Kakuzi Road, striking Marubu in the chest.“The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Ndula Resource Center are deeply concerned about the growing militarisation of Kenya’s agribusiness sector, particularly around the Del Monte plantation, where violent incidents continue to claim lives and cause injuries,” KHRC said.According to KHRC, Muiruri was killed between 8am and 9am on August 8, 2025, when a G4S guard driving a Toyota Hilux (registration KBZ 441E) rammed a motorcycle on which he was riding as a passenger. The guard reportedly suspected him of stealing pineapples — an accusation KHRC dismissed as baseless.Muiruri, a local vendor returning from Thika’s Makongeni market, sustained severe injuries. Despite receiving first aid at a local clinic, he was later pronounced dead at Thika Level 5 Hospital. A post-mortem conducted on August 11 concluded he died from multiple injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.Rogue guards Witnesses said the same G4S guard later pursued Muiruri’s family and his friend, 24-year-old Brian Kuria, as they went to report the incident at Ngati Police Station, nearly knocking them down. Police later impounded both the Hilux and Kuria’s damaged motorcycle.KHRC said Muiruri’s death fits into a “disturbing pattern” of lethal force and intimidation by security personnel guarding multinational plantations in Kenya. In December 2023, four men were found dead near Del Monte’s Thika plantation, allegedly beaten by company guards and dumped in the Chania River on suspicion — never proven — of stealing pineapples.A January 2024 Human Rights Impact Assessment by Partner Africa, shared with British supermarkets, documented killings, assaults, and intimidation against both alleged trespassers and innocent locals at Del Monte’s operations. Following the report, Del Monte outsourced security to G4S in March 2024 after terminating 214 in-house guards.However, KHRC said community reports indicate that “the violence has continued unabated.” G4S itself has faced separate human rights abuse allegations elsewhere, including torture and rape in Kwale linked to a special police unit working for Bamburi Portland Cement Ltd in a long-running land dispute.KHRC and the Ndula Resource Center are now demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of the G4S guard involved in Muiruri’s death, public disclosure of investigation findings, full compensation for his family, and reparations for affected communities. They are also calling for legal accountability for both Del Monte and G4S, including strict licensing conditions or suspension for violations, and the suspension of Del Monte’s SA8000 social accountability and ISO9002 quality management certifications.