Boy trampled to death by elephant in Taita Taveta County

VOI: A Standard Five pupil was yesterday trampled to death by a stray elephant in Salaita village on the outskirts of Taveta town.

Napapa Lemoi, a pupil at Timbila Primary School, was looking after his family's cattle at the time of the attack, police said.

Mata Ward Representative Tiges Kipampi said: "The elephant broke out of the vast Tsavo West National Park and we have asked the Kenya Wildlife Service to terminate the animal that is threatening human life in the area."

Police took the the body to Taveta Sub-County Hospital mortuary.

The incident comes at a time when the government is still grappling with increased cases of human wildlife conflict. The county is also one of the worst hit by wildlife conflicts, considering that 62 per cent of the total land area is part of Tsavo National Park.

The incident also comes at a time when scores of primary school pupils have dropped out of school to offer cheap labour.

According to Maasai leaders in Taveta sub-county, pupils were being hired as herders. Mr Kipampi disclosed that more than 100 have dropped out of school.

He claimed that some unscrupulous parents were colluding with livestock owners to employ young boys as herders in total violation of the Children's Act.

CHILD ABUSE

"We have presented a list of over 100 children who are not going to school to the authorities for action," he said.

Speaking to The Standard yesterday, the Restore and Build Kenya (RBK) legislator claimed that some parents were summoned by the Children's department for allegedly allowing their children to work as herders at the expense of their studies.

"We are perturbed by the rising number of children dropping out of school in the area. No action has been taken against the perpetrators of child abuse. The trend is affecting the boy-child's education and must be tackled urgently," he observed.

He noted that some authorities may have been compromised by influential livestock herders to perpetuate child labour.

"I have on several occasions reported the matter to the relevant authorities to take action against those people responsible for child labour without any success," Kipampi said.

He said such cases were rampant in Salaita, Njoro and Orkungu villages. County Education and Libraries Chief Officer Philomena Kirote said cases of children dropping out of school were on the rise.

"I do not have statistics now on the number of children who have dropped out of school. But such cases are many," said the Ms Kirote in an interview yesterday. Taveta Deputy County Commissioner Hiribae Nkaduda and area Education Officer George Awuoche said investigations into the incident would be launched.