Angry locals from Rombo village in Kajiado South on Saturday killed two elephants, bringing the total to three elephants killed in the region within just one week.
The residents reacted after one of the elephants killed a child in the village and seriously injured the mother.
With the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) not immediately responding to the issue, the villagers took matters into their own hands and attacked the elephants, resulting in two deaths.
Following the incident, KWS intervened and gunned down the third elephant in what underscored the escalating human-wildlife conflict in the region.
Loitoktok Police Commander Shadrack Ruto confirmed the incident, attributing the elephants' presence in the village to the ongoing drought in the region.
The scarcity of water and food in wildlife reserves has driven the elephants to seek survival in human settlements, where they can find watering holes and pastures.
Considering the potential danger posed by the elephants to the local residents, it was decided that the community members would hold a meeting with government officials to address the situation.
During the meeting scheduled for Sunday, August 6, Rombo residents will be sensitised about the ongoing issue of human-wildlife conflict in their area.
The severity of this problem was captured in a widely shared video, where Rombo residents were seen using crude weapons such as spears and machetes to chase away elephants.
In the distressing video, over 50 Morans were depicted attacking an elephant with spears. The animal succumbed to the injuries sustained in the confrontation.
In July 2023, the government launched a compensation program to address the devastating impact of human-wildlife conflict.
Some Ksh908 million was allocated to compensate family members who lost loved ones, suffered injuries, or experienced property destruction due to wildlife encounters across the country.
Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Penina Malonza revealed that the government would spend Ksh5 billion to compensate families affected by human-wildlife conflict.
