Motorists plying the Thika Super Highway along Ndarugo on Saturday were stranded after locals blocked the road in protest of a woman who was attacked by a hyena.
According to the residents, the woman was on her way to work when the hyena attacked her at around 5 am in Witeithie.
She sustained serious injuries and passed on moments later as residents attempted to rush her to a nearby clinic for first aid administration.
The morning incident angered a section of the locals who complained over the frequent attacks in the area. This was the second attack within a month, with several others reported in the year.
They thus blocked the road with stones, demanding an audience with local leaders and relevant authorities to resolve the menace.
Police officers had a difficult moment transferring the victim's body to the morgue as they were ordered to get rid of the hyenas and end the human-animal conflict.
However, police insisted that the management of human and wild animal conflicts was under the jurisdiction of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
Nonetheless, police were under pressure to clear the highway as the gridlock worsened. Traffic marshalls were deployed to ensure motorists do not overlap.
In 2021, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) asked residents along Thika Road, especially in Witeithie, to be cautious of the roaming hyenas.
This warning was issued after a man was attacked and killed by a pack of 20 hyenas while on his way home. The man who was in the company of colleagues was overpowered by the animals while his coworkers scampered for safety.
Some of the hyenas are believed to escape nearby national parks and roam into cities, terrorising residents.
