Voi, Kenya: Marauding elephants last night trampled to death a farmer in Taita-Taveta County.
The incident comes at a time when the government is still grappling with persistence human-wildlife conflict in the country.
The Wednesday incident has sparked public outcry and condemnation among the villagers of Kirumbi in the outskirts of Voi town.
Police and Kenya Wildlife Service personnel said the farmer, Gibson Mwambanga Kinoi was guarding his farm at the time of his death.
County Police Commander Richard Bitonga and Taita Community Wildlife Warden Samuel Rukaria said the body of the deceased was taken to Voi district hospital mortuary and investigations launched.
Bitonga said the 37 year-old was attacked and killed by the elephants which had invaded his farm.
“The deceased was in the farm with his wife and when he tried to chase the jumbos away from destroying his mature food crops, the animals turned on him killing him on the spot,” said the police officer.
“The deceased appeared to have provoked the jumbos which killed him instantly,” added Rukaria.
The villagers complained that the jumbos had reportedly destroyed hundreds of acres of food crops, an issue that is compounding the famine situation in the region dependent on relief supplies from the government and donors.
Led by the Sagala Ward Representative Godwin Kilele, whose area the incident occurred accused the government of valuing wildlife more than human beings. Kilele said resident’s constant plea to have the jumbos driven away from human settlement had failed as KWS personnel took more time to respond to pleas.
“The deceased should have called KWS to drive the animals away to the Tsavo East national Park instead of trying to provoke them, “said Rukaria.
The incident comes at a time when the government is yet to constitute the County Compensation committee that is charged with the responsibility of verifying compensation claims.
Rukaria confirmed that the 10 member compensation committee is yet to be formed.
The Wildlife Compensation and Management Act says the government shall establish a Wildlife Compensation Scheme that would be used for financing compensation claims for human death or injury or crop and property damage caused by wildlife.
Where any person suffers any bodily injury or is killed by any wildlife listed under the Third Schedule, the person injured, or in the case of a deceased person, the personal representative or successor or assign, may launch a claim to the County Wildlife Conservation Committee within the jurisdiction established under the Act, it says.
The Act has raised compensation for people killed by wildlife to Sh1 million and has also provisions for compensation for crops destroyed and livestock killed by wild animals.
