500 animals seized from Maasai herders in Taita Taveta returned

Animals grazing at a national park. Photo: File, Standard

At least 500 head of cattle seized by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for grazing illegally in the vast Tsavo National Park have been returned to their owners following a court order.

The animals owned by the Maasai community in Salaita in Taveta sub-county were seized on July 7 at Njoro within the Tsavo West National Park.

They were then handed to the Government following an application by KWS after their owners failed to show up to identify them at Salaita holding ground.

Successful appeal

The application for forfeiture was filed by assistant KWS Warden Stephen Otieno and was heard and determined at the Taveta Principal Magistrate's court.

"Some KWS personnel had been assigned to graze the animals in the park as the case continued," said a senior KWS officials who declined to be named.

Thursday, the livestock owners confirmed the earlier ruling by Taveta Law Courts had been overturned following a successful appeal last Friday.

Former Taveta MP Basil Criticos and Mata Ward Representative Reuben Tiges confirmed that the animals had been handed over to their owners after they successfully appealed against the court ruling.

Mr Criticos said he hired a lawyer to represent the owners.

The MCA said they took action after Maasai morans threatened to storm the holding ground to drive away the livestock.

At one point, he said, KWS personnel were forced to fire in the air to scare away the rowdy morans.

"There was pressure from above to release the livestock to the owners after tensions ran high," said Tiges.

Paul Parit, a youth leader, said some of the animals had been relocated to Amboseli Group Ranches due to protracted drought.

"We have been forced to relocate the animals to avert a confrontation with authorities," he said in an interview Thursday.

Illegal grazing is still going on in the sprawling park.

The herders now graze their animals in the park at night to avoid detection, a source said.

Tiges and Parit said the herders would have lost more than Sh28 million had the Government taken away their animals.

They claimed KWS drove away the animals after they failed to give a "protection fee" to the authorities.

Security operation

The leaders accused KWS of discrimination, claiming it allows some herders to graze their livestock in the protected area while "harassing" others.

According to a KWS report, invasion of the park by the herders has led to an increase in poaching and destruction of vegetation.

The report says herding has also disturbed wildlife migratory patterns. The report names Tsavo West and East, Chyulu, Amboseli, Kora and Sibiloi as the most affected.

Meanwhile, the Government plans to conduct another security operation to end illegal herders. Natural Resources Principal Secretary Margaret Mwakima said illegal herding was a major challenge.

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