Taita residents decry rising Jumbo invasion in their farms (Kenya)
Taita residents decry rising Jumbo invasion in their farms (Kenya)
Lucy Mkanyika, Nation
April 6, 2021
See link
https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/taita-taveta/taita-residents-decry-rising-jumbo-invasion-in-their-farms--3350642
for photos.
An increase in human-wildlife conflict has been reported in parts of Taita
Taveta raising fears of food insecurity due to invasions on farms. In
Kasigau ward alone, more than 200 farms have been invaded by marauding
elephants from Tsavo National Park that have made the fields their home.
Farmers have expressed fears that they will soon stare at poverty and
depend on food aid from the government if the menace is not resolved.
The rising conflict has seen residents to demand that Kenya Wildlife
Service (KWS) drive the elephants from the farms.
Locals in the affected areas of Kasigau, Sagalla and Marungu wards said
invasions have been on the increase as elephants have made their farms
their grazing fields. "All my crops were destroyed by elephants last night.
I don't know where to start," says Mariana Mangi, a Kasigau resident.
The perennial invasions have since forced the residents to protest to
authorities against the menace. Some of the residents say they have
abandoned their farms as their crops keep being destroyed by the elephants
every harvesting season.
Janet Matano, a Miasenyi resident says their farm was invaded on Saturday
night and the jumbos destroyed their vegetable crops and 20 fruit trees.
"The farms belong to our widow's group. All the pawpaw trees have been
destroyed," she says.
They had done electric fencing around their farm, yet the elephants managed
to enter and destroy the crops and trees. “We have complained to KWS, and
they have promised to take action, but for how long will we be incurring
such loses?" she poses.
Another Miasenyi resident Philomena Wakesho say 11 elephants are on the
loose, terrorising residents in the area.
Wildlife organisations have issued residents with bright flashing lights
and air horns to keep away the elephants, but they are no longer scared of
the tricks.
Kasigau Member of County Assembly Ibrahim Juma say they are lobbying to
have a KWS camp in the area to have the rangers reachable on time. "The
elephants are still in the farms. We fear for the security of residents,"
he says.
Cases of human-wildlife conflicts are not new in the area but are on the
rise.
For years, the residents have suffered invasions but those who spoke to
nation.africa said the conflict has increased in the recent past. The
residents say they are used to sharing space with the wild animals, which
are protected by law even on the private property.
Conservationists believe that the cases have soared due to increasing human
encroachment on wildlife corridors, which has forced the elephants to enter
human settlements in search of pasture and water, leading to conflicts.
"Now we see them every day. We cannot move around the village even during
the day because the elephants roam around the whole day," says Bughuta
resident John Mwafungo, complaining about the damage the jumbos have caused
to his crops.
The government compensation to losses caused by wildlife has also been
slow. Decades after the launch of the kitty only a handful of residents
have been compensated. "It is a tedious job to get the compensation. We are
asked to fill forms and submit them to KWS but we never get the money. It
is better to not claim the compensation," Nelson Mwadime says.
Despite the efforts that has been put into understanding and resolving the
human wildlife menace in the county, no clear solution has emerged. In
parts of the county, locals have declined to allow KWS to erect electric
fence to prevent the elephants from trespassing from Tsavo into the
community land.
In 2019, residents moved to court to block the construction of 96-kilometre
along Mgeno-Maungu-Kasigau stretch claiming that KWS wanted to convert more
land in to a conservation area.
The Sh265 million project has now stalled as the government waits for court
ruling to either continue or stop the construction works.
KWS is working with private rangers from Wildlife Works to keep the wild
animals from destroying crops and invading human settlements in villages
adjacent to Tsavo National Park.
Efforts to reach acting Tsavo Assistant Director Ken Ochieng were futile as
he was unavailable on phone.