State agency on spot over bhang grown in park
A police officer throws a bunch of bang herbs into flames of fire at a bang farm inside Chyullu National Park on August 3, 2016. A raid to the farm by police, Kenya Wildlife Service rangers and Mtito Andei administrators saw bang of unknown value destroyed. PHOTO | PIUS MAUNDU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The bang of unknown value grew on a quarter acre farm two kilometres from the boundary of the park and Nthongoni near Mtito Andei Town.
- Residents at Mwitasyano Township blamed a KWS official whom they identified (as Kyalo Mbai) for the growing of and trading in bang in the area.
- Investigations by Nation established that the KWS official implicated in the bang syndicate had an active court case.
A sting operation by police, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers and Mtito Andei administrators on Wednesday saw bang grown inside Chyullu National Park destroyed.
The operation has put the KWS on the spot on its commitment to containing unauthorized access to the resource.
The bang of unknown value grew on a quarter acre farm two kilometres from the boundary of the park and Nthongoni near Mtito Andei Town.
No one was arrested during the raid as the farm was deserted.
Undeterred, the team of 12 police officers and area assistant Chief Ms Ruth uprooted the herbs, heaped them in a pile, and set them on fire.
"We got word from area residents that a bang farm existed inside the Park and we mounted the raid," said Mtito Andei Assistant County Commissioner Joseph Sankale after the destruction.
During the operation, the name of a KWS official working at the Tsavo West National Park featured prominently as among the people behind the growing of and trading in bang in the area.
This came on the backdrop of a growing disquiet among pockets of residents who blamed KWS for being reluctant in controlling unauthorized entry into the park.
Residents at Mwitasyano Township blamed a KWS official whom they identified (as Kyalo Mbai) for the growing of and trading in bang in the area.
"Authorities confiscated six sack loads of bang from his house recently," said the man who escorted the team that raided the farm in the woods.
Investigations by Nation established that the KWS official implicated in the bang syndicate had an active court case.
A senior KWS official in the area confirmed that the official indeed worked at Tsavo West National Park and that his name had come up before in similar accusations.
"I would not be surprised to learn that he is the one who grows bang inside the Park," said the senior official on condition of anonymity since he is not allowed to speak on behalf of the agency.
However, Mr Sankale blamed "unscrupulous people with a penchant of accessing the resource and poachers" for the growing of the narcotics inside the park.
