Mother wins battle after hyena attacks home in Laikipia

Mrs Namaita Lengoloya, 38, at Nyahururu General Hospital on July 29, 2014. The mother of four was attacked by a hyena at 3am on July 29 as the family slept at Maundu ni Meri in Rumuruti, Laikipia County. PHOTO | JOSEPH KURIA |

What you need to know:

  • The 3am battle lasted for over half an hour before neighbours came to their rescue.
  • Mrs Lengoloya said the beast violently pushed the door open and entered.

A housewife single-handedly fought off a hyena that raided her house at the break of dawn as she and her four children slept.

Mrs Namaita Lengoloya quickly picked up a piece of firewood to defend herself as the hungry beast burst into the house and attacked her at Maundu ni Meri, Laikipia West.

Mrs Lengoloya and children were admitted to Nyahururu District Hospital in a serious condition.

The 3am battle lasted for over half an hour before neighbours came to their rescue.

Mrs Lengoloya said the beast violently pushed the door open and entered.

“I picked up a piece of firewood and hit the hyena as it readied to bite me. The hyena abandoned its mission and fled screaming, leaving me with a deep wound,” she recalled.

Her 10-year-old son Supukia Lengoloya lost three teeth and suffered a jaw fracture when he was bitten on the face.

His seven-year-old sister, Siato Lengoloya, was bitten on the back of the head. Two other children were unhurt.

Earlier, the hyena had stormed Mr Nkumai Lolopeta’s house and inflicted a deep bite on his left leg while another neighbour, Mr Mteto Kirsan, escaped with a bruise on the leg as they fought the animal out of their house.

Those injured were taken to Rumuruti Dispensary and then transferred to Nyahururu. Some neighbours went to inform wildlife officers about it.

The villagers killed the marauding hyena.

HYENAS COMMON

Hyenas and other wild animals are common in Maundu ni Meri on the Rumuruti-Maralal Road that cuts across ranches and conservancies.

Since the wild animals tend to keep their distance, local people have taken them to be harmless. Mrs Lengoloya, who is a housewife, explained that that was why she did not firmly bolt the door of her hut on Monday night.

The other reason is because her husband, Mr Lengoloya, who is employed as a guard by the company tarmacking the Rumuruti-Maralal Road, arrives home very early in the morning and the family finds it easier for him to easily access the hut.

The man was on that night guarding the heavy road construction machinery parked not far from his home.

“I heard screams from my family and since I was not far from home, I rushed and on arrival I found neighbours were already there. I was shocked to see my wife and children covered with blood,” Mr Lengoloya said.

The victims and their bloody clothes attracted much sympathy at Nyahururu Hospital.

Many of those who saw the family said the woman must be very brave. She suffered the most as she protected the children from the hyena.