Farmers agony as elephants invade farms in Laikipia

Earnest Mwangi a tomato farmer shows what was left after elephants invaded his farm in Nginyii Village, Laikipia East. [File, Standard]

Cases of human-wildlife conflict in Laikipia county continue to rise despite efforts to control the movement of wild animals outside the protected areas.

Horticulture farmers from Kandorobo/Kambi Simba in Melwa Location of Laikipia West sub-county are counting losses after elephants destroyed crops worth thousands of shillings.

The farmers led by David Njoroge lamented that the animals have wreaked havoc on the farms and are endangering their lives.

They said that despite efforts to call for intervention from the authorities to drive away the jumbos, they were still straying into people's farms.

Njoroge explained that the elephants pull and push the electric fence with their tusks and invade the farms.

"This has destroyed the electric fence around Kambi Simba, giving elephants access to the farms with ease," he said.

The farmers now want the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to repair the section of the damaged fence around Rumuruti forest.

Stephen Toniok regretted that KWS is yet to compensate the farmers for the damage caused by the animals.

"We have been to every government office but no help is forthcoming. We have now lost our source of income to elephants," he said.

He lamented that the government was yet to release the compensation funds which has hindered them from clearing bank loans and now live in fear of being auctioned.

Laikipia officer in charge of KWS Rose Marenya said that they had received the claims and were taking action.

"We are first repairing the destroyed section of the electric fence as we consider compensation. We have also added the number of our officers in that part," she noted.