Laikipia residents decry increased human-wildlife conflict

Residents of Lorian Village in Rumuruti Division of Laikipia West on Thursday engaged marauding elephants and a dramatic chase as they made frantic efforts to drive a herd of elephants from their farms.

The about 12 elephants had invaded the farms during the wee hours of the night but remained in the farms for the better part of Thursday morning.

Residents used all available means to chase away the beasts, an effort that took the intervention of game Warden from Rumuruti Station who managed to take them back to their habitat in the nearby Rumuruti forest.

Residents who spoke to the press said it was worrying to see that the animals can roam near their farms in broad daylight.

They added that despite efforts to call for intervention from the authorities to have the jumbos contained within their territory, they were still straying into people farms where they have already destroyed crops worth millions of shillings.

They added that victims who have sought compensation from the KWS for the damages caused to their crops were yet to received any money.

However, Laikipia County’s Compensation and Conservation Committee Chairperson Mrs Virginiah Nyaguthii Wahome said the committee was yet to receive the compensation funds to allocate to the victims.

She lamented that the government was yet to release the funds, adding that this has also hindered other activities among them awareness and logistics to meet the victims.

She regretted that the committee was receiving complaints from farmers on a daily bases but despite filling up the necessary compensation forms, nothing has been forthcoming.

Ms Wahome said the number of elephants in the area has increased and this has overwhelmed the KWS rangers.

She however called on affected residents to ensure they make formal reports to the relevant authorities for purposes of documentation, adding that this will also help in identifying the most critical cases for compensation.

Farmers in the region have often suffered loss of livestock, which become prey to animals, and crop losses due to raids by elephants and other wild animals.

Such conflicts however can be minimised with simple measures like adequate payment for loss of livestock and insurance cover for crops.

Payment of compensation in lieu of giving up these rights for life may be a solution that led to the formation of the Wildlife Conservation and Compensation Committee with offices established in all the 41 counties.