Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja has issued an order to Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala.
Addressing the translocation of elephants to Tsavo National Park, the governor directed Balala to immediately halt the exercise and return the jumbos to Mt Kenya.
“We will not allow rogue elephants here as this will worsen the situation here,” Samboja exclaimed.
[caption caption="File image of Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja"]
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Speaking on the issue, Taita Taveta leaders asked Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to promptly stop the translocation.
Led by the county boss, Voi MP Jones Mlolwa, Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako and Mwatate MP Andrew Mwadime, the leaders stated that they will not allow KWS to convert the region into a dumping ground for troublesome 'jumbos'.
Speaking separately, the leaders declared that the move by Balala to have more elephants in the region will only worsen the situation as the county is one of the worst hit by persistent human-wildlife conflict in Kenya.
On Wednesday, KWS started moving 20 elephants from Solio Ranch to Tsavo East National Park following persistent complaints from farmers who have lost their harvests to the roaming 'beasts.'
However, while launching the drive at Solio, Balala noted that: "This is the best way to address the issue.”
Mlolwa, Mwashako, and Mwadime urged the government to address the human-wildlife conflict in the county before translocating more jumbos to the region.
According to residents in the towns near Parks, stray elephants including calves have always destroyed large sections of farms in the area.
[caption caption="File image of KWS officers translocating an elephant"]
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