KWS officers kill 60kg crocodile in Kiambu

Administration Police (AP) officers and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers in Juja, Kiambu County on Monday evening killed a 60kg crocodile at Ndarugo River that had in the past weeks posed a serious security threat to residents.

The KWS officers shot the 7-feet long male reptile in the head and in the back after they found it basking along the banks of the river.

This comes after Kalimoni Ward residents noticed the presence of the crocodile in the river on Wednesday last week and reported the issue to the police.

Confirming the incident, the Administration Police officer in charge of the operation, Doreen Gitonga described the crocodile as a “ticking time bomb”.

“The people with farms near the river contacted us and informed us of the existence of a crocodile in River Ndarugo. We informed KWS and that is why we have acted fast before damage is caused because children swim and people pump water from this river,” said Ms. Gitonga.

When Citizen Digital asked KWS officers why they killed the crocodile instead of containing it they declined to comment saying they had to receive authorization to speak from the head office in Nairobi.

The residents now want the KWS officers to investigate whether the crocodile could have bred in the river.