KWS to face suit over increased animal attacks in Taita Taveta

Elephants taking a mud and dust bath at Tsavo East National Park in Taita Taveta County. Residents of the county are concerned about human-wildlife conflict. FILE PHOTO | MICHEL HUO

What you need to know:

  • Governor John Mruttu said he will present the petition in court to compel the national government to compensate victims.
  • Further, he blamed the construction of the standard gauge railway (SGR) for disturbing the animals' habitat, thus precipitating their migration to residential areas.

Taita Taveta County will sue the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for laxity in addressing the increasing cases of animal attacks.

Governor John Mruttu, speaking in Sagalla on Sunday after receiving a petition from residents, said he will present the petition in court to compel the national government to compensate victims of human/wildlife conflict.

Mr Mruttu blamed KWS for failing to manage the movements of animals in Tsavo National Park, especially elephants which have invaded various farms destroying crops.

"Our people are dying. Some are nursing very serious injuries due to wildlife attacks and many farmers are counting losses after their crops were destroyed.

"The most unfortunate thing is that the concerned authorities are doing nothing to curb these losses," he said.

He said an assessment of destruction caused by the animals will be used to determine the amount of damages payable.

"I will ensure that this petition is presented in court. I have instructed the department of Agriculture to do an assessment on the damage caused by wildlife in this county.

"We will then use the statistics to sue the concerned authorities," he said.

On Monday last week, a woman died of shock after seeing a parade of elephants outside her house.

Further, he blamed the construction of the standard gauge railway (SGR) for disturbing the animals' habitat, thus precipitating their migration to residential areas.

"The SGR interfered with the elephants’ migration route leading to such kind of havoc. This could have been avoided," he said.

In December, Sagalla residents protested to the unbridled conflict.

"We are mobilizing residents across the county to participate. We cannot allow to be taken as non-citizens yet we pay taxes just like other Kenyans," Godwin Kilele, Sagalla representative, said.

Julius Cheptei, Tsavo Conservation Area assistant director, said the agency launched an operation to drive out the elephants from community land.

He said the elephants are moving from Mkomanzi National Park in Tanzania to Tsavo National Park.

"We will erect an electric fence to stop wildlife from invading the community. For now an operation to drive the elephants out of the area is ongoing," he said.