Elephants and hippos have invaded farms in Chakama, Magarini, in Kilifi County, bringing a new conflict between wildlife and communities living in the region.
Over 10,000 residents are now protesting against massive destruction of crops by the beasts leading to losses worth millions.
The residents said beginning this year, rogue elephants and hippos have allegedly been destroying crops leading to losses with the claims that the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has turned a blind ear to their cries.
The most affected are residents doing irrigation around River Galana after getting pumps, generators, and pipes for doing farming from President Uhuru Kenyatta who wanted to help the fight against famine and stop overreliance on relief food.
“We are staring at looming hunger because of the destruction which is being done daily without getting any help from the authorities,” said a farmer.
The locals said they are now forced to lit bonfires and beat drums to scare away the elephants once they see them.
“Whenever we call KWS, those from Tsavo in Taita Taveta come briefly and remain in Shakahola trading center before going back without taking any other action,” they said.
Mr Samson Zia, one of the affected farmers who has a three-acre farm said they came together to try to help each other as the destruction is getting worse.
He claimed the response of Malindi KWS has been very poor since the elephant’s problem started because whenever they call them, they claim vehicles have no fuel or the vehicle has gone to deal with hippos in other areas.
“We are forced to call Taita Taveta County KWS who are in Sala gate Taita Taveta county, when they come, they just sit in the dispensary and do not do any interventions or to assist the locals to stop the invasions,” he said.
Areas affected he said include Bakaye, Mchekenzi, Ruruma, Katana Hekeye, Kwa Mwanza, Bombi, Garisemke, Divayo, Habura, Hawewanje, Kibora, Kanduru, Adimaye, Katama, Bofu, Shakahola, Majengo, among others.
He said the KWS officers are quick to arrest people found with dik-diks or respond to death caused by elephants but will never come in to help end the destruction in farms and called on the Tourism CS Najib Balala to intervene and visit the ground to see the destruction in person.
Currently, he said due to the problem some children have stopped going to school and those who go report at the learning institutions at 10 am.
Another resident, Mwambegu Karisa thanked the president for giving them 250 water pumping machines, pumps, pipes and fuel but told him elephants were destroying the farms.
“We are urging President Kenyatta to intervene as the elephants are destroying farms which have been active after he helped us with irrigation equipment, we also have reports that Mr Balala is being misled by KWS officials and maintains that there are no elephants,” he said.
Magarini MP Michael Kingi said he has tried to intervene personally by supporting the KWS with fuel and vehicle but still, nothing has come up to end the destruction.
Kingi said he also reached out to the ministry, CS Balala but seems he was being misled by the KWS who told him there were no elephants in Chakama.
“It is clear that the Ministry is not ready to resolve the problem, I have written a letter to the Ministry and the CS but we have not got any solution from them, I also took the matter to Parliament and Mr Balala promised to take action and resolve the issue,” he said.
