Women from Gaturi in Murang’a protest over theft of panties on Monday April 27. Photo/PD

Women in Mwirua village in Murang’a County are an unsettled bunch over the bizarre theft of panties from their homes.

The women on Monday staged a protest against the unknown panty thieves who allegedly steal women’s and children’s undergarments that are left to dry on the cloth line.

People Daily reported on Wednesday that some of the women said the panty bandits are even breaking into houses to steal their undergarments. This, they said, has forced them to carry their prized inner garments in their purses.

“We are worried because these thieves are stealing women and girls’ underwear while leaving men’s on the line. We don’t know what our children shall wear when schools re-open,” said one of the women as quoted by the publication.

Another villager speculated that the stolen panties are used to make face masks.

“I am hearing they are using our panties to make face masks. One pantie can make two face masks. For the big-sized underwear, I am hearing it can make five face masks or even more,” said the villager.

Another seemingly superstitious woman claimed the theft could be connected to witchcraft.

“Maybe these thieves do not want our young girls to give birth when they come of age. I think they want to kill their ‘Mandacu’ (sexual health),” she said.

This comes barely two weeks after it was reported that residents of Mathare village in Murang’a county had been duped into purchasing women’s underwear in the pretext that they were face masks.

Read: Murang’a Residents Duped into Wearing Panties as Face Masks