Makueni County Assembly Speaker Douglas Mbilu has called out Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for the escalated human-wildlife conflict in major parts of Kibwezi.
Mbilu who spoke at Masongaleni Ward said that for a long time, elephants have been a threat to the people living within the area, urging that it’s high time the sector puts better measures to address the problem.
“When a resident is caught fetching firewood near the park is arrested and arraigned in court, but when an elephant crosses all the way from Mtito to Masongaleni and kills a resident its not a big deal? Why can’t you simply drive the animal back to the park? “, Mbilu said.
Mbilu says that the locals are not benefiting much from tourism, claiming that it has even become hard for the victims seeking compensation. He reiterated that KWS should quickly mitigate the elephant menace before locals are forced to deal with it.
“The elephants should quickly be driven out within a minimum of two days. I think there are enough helicopters to escort them lest locals find other ways to deal with them”, he added.
Two days ago, a man from Masongaleni Ward was killed by an elephant. To help curb the challenge, the Governor said he will ensure the elephant electric exclusion fence bordering the park is completed.
Human-wildlife conflict has recently increased due to the ongoing scarcity of water, which has led animals such as elephants to roam searching for pasture and water.