Just a day after another child lost their life to a hyena attack, the Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has finally addressed the issue assuring Kenyans that various steps are being taken to ensure that the deadly attacks are a thing of the past after September 2024.
In a post, Miano said that the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers are on the ground to mop up all hyenas in the Juja Area as fast as humanly possible.
Terming the hyena menace as reaching inadmissible levels, the CS said, “The recent loss of 2 children in the area to hyenas is so painful to think about.”
Miano has also authorized a 24-hour KWS surveillance of the area to ensure that no other life is lost forthwith.
On September 5, Juja residents took to the streets to demonstrate the loss of life of a 5-year-old boy to a hyena attack, blocking the Thika superhighway and demanding swift action from the government to curb the menace.
The area has recorded many other hyena attacks in recent months including another death of a 52-year-old woman just last month.
The attack ironically comes after KWS launched an initiative dubbed ‘Ondoa Fisi-2’ on August 8, 2024, to handle the crisis.
In a statement released on September 5 by the KWS after the Wednesday night attack, 38 hyenas have already been captured and returned to the wild and 12 quarries used as hideouts by the hyenas sealed shut.
The statement also outlines how they plan to tackle the crisis in two phases; hyena management and community engagement to educate residents on safety measures.
“The service urges the community to limit movement at night, dispose of waste properly to avoid attracting the hyenas and to refrain from tampering with traps set for the animals.” Part of the statement reads.
It also emphasises KWS’ commitment to working with relevant authorities to rehabilitate abandoned quarries in the area to ensure maximum security for Juja residents.
The statement ends with a call on residents to remain vigilant and report any sightings of problematic wildlife to a 24/7 KWS hotline at 0800 597 000 or Whatsapp at +254 726610509.
