Kenya: Farmers Count Losses As Stray Jumbos Ruin Crops
Fred Kibor, The Nation via AllAfrica
September 1, 2021
Over 200 farmers in Endo ward are counting huge losses after marauding
jumbos invaded their farms, destroying crops estimated to be over Sh51
million.
For the second month in a row, hundreds of elephants have invaded farms
along their migratory path in Kerio Valley traversing Elgeyo Marakwet, West
Pokot and Turkana counties.
The problem has been exacerbated by the ongoing dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed
by the government to restore calm following increased bandit attacks, which
has prevented locals from guarding their farms at night. Locals now want
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to act swiftly and drive away the animals from
their farms and compensate them. They are living in fear of being attacked.
"I had over 400 banana trees and 280 pawpaws trees which the elephants
destroyed," one of the farmers, Mr Nixon Changwony, told the Nation
yesterday.
The most affected areas are Kaben, Endo, Talai, Koibirir, Mokoro, Murkutwo,
Mon and Arror.
Talai Location
Each year between June and September, the elephants migrate from Nasalot
Game Reserve in Turkana County to Rimoi Game Reserve in Elgeyo Marakwet for
their mating season. Mr Wilfred Minanyang, the chairman of a 50-acre
irrigation scheme in Talai location, said the local community depends
entirely on their farms for food and to earn a living.
"The only hope we have is for the government to compensate us. The
compensation issue has dragged on and we are still waiting for payment for
crops destroyed last year," he said.
"To avert a humanitarian crisis in the area, the government should move
with speed and compensate the farmers besides relocating the marauding
elephants to the nearest game reserves," another farmer, Mr Richard Komen,
said.
Endo Ward agricultural officer Benjamin Sum said that the value of the
destroyed crops is over Sh51 million.
Compensation
"Hunger is now looming. The elephants invade farms at night and retreat to
the bushes during the day. We have helped farmers file compensation claim
forms," he said.
Tourism and Wildlife Chief Administrative Secretary Joseph Boinett said the
elephants have become a menace in Kerio valley and that the government
would fast-track compensation especially for cases that have been concluded.
"As a mitigation, we have sent a team of KWS rangers and Problematic Animal
Management Unit (Pamu) officers to complement officers in the region in
managing the animals."
"An aircraft has been deployed to undertake an aerial survey to locate the
animals. Several vehicles have also been deployed. We are optimistic that
the animals will be rerouted to their habitats soon," Mr Boinett said.
He asked affected farmers to fill in compensation claim forms for them to
get paid, saying payment for previous damages was also being processed.
Pamu is a unit of KWS that handles cases of wild animals that stray from
the park.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202109010247.html
Kenya: Farmers Count Losses As Stray Jumbos Ruin Crops
Fred Kibor, The Nation via AllAfrica
September 1, 2021
Over 200 farmers in Endo ward are counting huge losses after marauding
jumbos invaded their farms, destroying crops estimated to be over Sh51
million.
For the second month in a row, hundreds of elephants have invaded farms
along their migratory path in Kerio Valley traversing Elgeyo Marakwet, West
Pokot and Turkana counties.
The problem has been exacerbated by the ongoing dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed
by the government to restore calm following increased bandit attacks, which
has prevented locals from guarding their farms at night. Locals now want
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to act swiftly and drive away the animals from
their farms and compensate them. They are living in fear of being attacked.
"I had over 400 banana trees and 280 pawpaws trees which the elephants
destroyed," one of the farmers, Mr Nixon Changwony, told the Nation
yesterday.
The most affected areas are Kaben, Endo, Talai, Koibirir, Mokoro, Murkutwo,
Mon and Arror.
Talai Location
Each year between June and September, the elephants migrate from Nasalot
Game Reserve in Turkana County to Rimoi Game Reserve in Elgeyo Marakwet for
their mating season. Mr Wilfred Minanyang, the chairman of a 50-acre
irrigation scheme in Talai location, said the local community depends
entirely on their farms for food and to earn a living.
"The only hope we have is for the government to compensate us. The
compensation issue has dragged on and we are still waiting for payment for
crops destroyed last year," he said.
"To avert a humanitarian crisis in the area, the government should move
with speed and compensate the farmers besides relocating the marauding
elephants to the nearest game reserves," another farmer, Mr Richard Komen,
said.
Endo Ward agricultural officer Benjamin Sum said that the value of the
destroyed crops is over Sh51 million.
Compensation
"Hunger is now looming. The elephants invade farms at night and retreat to
the bushes during the day. We have helped farmers file compensation claim
forms," he said.
Tourism and Wildlife Chief Administrative Secretary Joseph Boinett said the
elephants have become a menace in Kerio valley and that the government
would fast-track compensation especially for cases that have been concluded.
"As a mitigation, we have sent a team of KWS rangers and Problematic Animal
Management Unit (Pamu) officers to complement officers in the region in
managing the animals."
"An aircraft has been deployed to undertake an aerial survey to locate the
animals. Several vehicles have also been deployed. We are optimistic that
the animals will be rerouted to their habitats soon," Mr Boinett said.
He asked affected farmers to fill in compensation claim forms for them to
get paid, saying payment for previous damages was also being processed.
Pamu is a unit of KWS that handles cases of wild animals that stray from
the park.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202109010247.html