A section of farmers in Laikipia County ushered in the New Year counting millions of shillings in losses after elephants invaded their farms and destroyed crops.
The farmers said the Jumbos spotted in their farms for two consecutive days this week, destroyed maize, beans, cabbages and other crops, leaving a trail of destruction and at the same time causing panic among the residents.
“This is the second time elephants are invading my farm. Last year, a herd of them was spotted and destroyed everything; the pattern has repeated again. We suspect they come from Olpajeta, they have terrorised us enough,” said Benard Omongori, a farmer in Sweetwaters area, Nanyuki.
He said farming was costly and they hoped the produce would offer relief of hunger pangs, hence called for a lasting solution of the human wildlife conflict in the area.
Peter Kuria, also a farmer, said they had incurred losses amounting to millions of shillings following destruction of their crops by straying elephants and other herbivores; however, compensation offered by the government was a tedious bureaucratic process that took long and failed to offer immediate relief.
“Farmers have done a lot of effort in preparing their crop farms, which they depend on for sale and support their families. Elephants have now unleashed havoc, leaving a trail of destruction and the compensation offered is not a lasting solution; some have even waited for nearly 10 years. We want a solution now,” said Kuria.
He added that farming was a sector where youth had embraced a move to create employment; however, with wild animals’ invasion, it was a tedious farming venture.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has admitted that there has been an increased movement of elephant herds from Mt Kenya Forest through residential areas neighbouring Ol-Pejeta Conservancy, with the animals following a traditional migratory route.
KWS Warden-In-Charge of Laikipia, Wellton Gathungu, attributed the current challenges to an ongoing electric fence construction in Mt Kenya Forest, which has forced the elephants to migrate towards Laikipia North, through Ol-Pejeta Conservancy.
But the residents who continue to incur heavy losses every season appealed to the government to come up with a permanent solution, pointing out that they legally own the land they occupy, despite lying on a wildlife migratory corridor.
The farmers are also accusing contractors of doing shoddy work when erecting fences, noting that they only last for a few years despite millions of shillings being allocated for such projects.
By Muturi Mwangi
