Police officers and national police reservists have been called in to support Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers in driving out marauding elephants that have invaded farms in Tigania West, Meru County.
More than 5,000 farmers in the area are counting losses following a month-long invasion by elephants that has covered over 1,000 acres of farmland.
The invasion by the jumbos come amid crop failure and at a time when farmers were preparing for relief from a prolonged drought.
A herd of about 200 elephants are said to be roaming the area and efforts by the KWS rangers to drive away the jumbos have not borne fruit.
Meru County Commissioner Fred Ndunga called on the county police commander to deploy police officers and national police reservists to provide reinforcement to the KWS rangers.
“It is unfortunate that some farmers have lost their entire crop to the elephants. We want the police to help the KWS rangers drive the animals out. Residents should not attempt to take the law into their hands,” Mr Ndunga said.
He said farmers affected by the destruction of elephants will also be prioritized when the government releases relief food.
Residents now accuse the KWS rangers of deliberately ‘grazing’ the elephants in farms as the marauding animals continue to invade crops by the day.
Mr Jeremiah Mwaine, a farmer in Athwana, said the elephants invaded his eight-acre farm, dimming any hope of salvaging the little crop available.
“We are tired of begging the KWS to take away the elephants. We are tired of the destruction of our crops. This is deliberate grazing of elephants on peoples’ farms by KWS. This should stop,” Tigania West MP John Mutunga said.
A resident of Athwana in Tigania West holds a maize cob left behind by marauding elephants that have invaded farms in the area. Meru County Commissioner Free Ndunga led a meeting on January 26, 2023 to address the human-wildlife conflict.
Photo credit: David Muchui I Nation Media Group
Tigania East MP Mpuru Aburi called on KWS to prioritise driving the elephants away from farms.
“Farmers have suffered under elephants for a long time. Those who applied for compensation in 2015 have never been paid. We are demanding that the elephants be driven out immediately,” Mr Aburi said.
Athwana MCA Jim Muchui said the elephants usually pass by the area, but this season, they had camped in the farms.
However, KWS deputy director in charge of Meru, Zainab Salim said they were working on reinforcing the efforts of the rangers.
Ms Salim said they had sought for more resources to be able to drive the elephants out of residential areas.
“We assure the affected farmers that we are working hard to protect their farms. We also urge those who have lost their crop to fill the compensation forms,” Ms Salim said.
Since early last year, residents of Tigania West, Tigania East and parts of Buuri have been battling elephants’ invasion that has intensified with drought.
In November, three elephants died of starvation, in Imenti forest, after trekking hundreds of kilometres from the north in search of pasture.
