Kenya: Wild Animals Disrupt Classes
Mwakera Mwajefa
9 September 2009



Nairobi — About 2,000 pupils have been missing classes since schools opened on Monday fearing attacks by wild animals. The animals have strayed from Tsavo West National Park in search of pasture and water, sparking panic among villagers.

Two people walking from their farms at Wumari-Sechu sub-location and Mfuko village have been trampled to death by elephants in the past month, according to villagers.

Muslims for Human Rights (Muhuri) officer Chris Mwambingu Wednesday said pupils from seven primary schools in Mwatate, Bura, Maktau and Mwachabo locations had been unable to attend classes.

"Mwachabo, Mururu, Zare, Sechu, Mlughi, Mghama and Kituma primary schools have recorded zero attendance," he said.

He said more than 20 people have been killed and crops and water points destroyed by wild animals since the beginning of the year but no action had been taken by the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Mr Mwambingu said Muhuri would hold a demonstration from Maktau to Mwatate to draw the government's attention to their plight.

"It is only through mass action and blocking the busy Mombasa-Nairobi highway that we can grab the government's attention," he said.

Mwatate MP Calist Mwatela said the human-wildlife conflict was making life unbearable for his constituents.


"If the government is unable to control the wild animals, we have the capacity and means to deal with them," he said.The Education assistant minister said villagers should be given permission to kill rogue animals.

Taita district commissioner Njenga Miiri admitted there was a serious human-wildlife conflict in Mwatate.

"Thirty minutes ago, I was talking to KWS officers. There is a wildlife problem because of the drought and famine," he said.

He, however, assured villagers that the KWS had sent officers to the area to control the animals.

Muhuri programme officer Livingstone Nyando blamed a government decision to relocate more than 400 elephants from Mwaluganje sanctuary to Tsavo West.

He called on the government to erect an electric fence to control the animals.

How about paying hunters to help out, with animal control, and cash for the locals!!!

Well mostly because that would mean there wouldn't be enough animals for all the ecotourists on photo safaris

Elephants die of drought, poaching - by Nampa-

NAIROBI – Poaching and drought-related hunger have killed more than 100 of Kenya’s famous elephants in the north of the country so far this year, conservationists say.

Zoologist Iain Douglas-Hamilton, who founded Save the Elephants, said the drought is Kenya’s worst in 12 years. The dry conditions pose a serious threat to the large and majestic animals, whose striking silhouettes across Kenya’s broad savannah draw around 1 million tourists each year.

“When (elephants) do not have enough food they also seem to be vulnerable to disease, their immune system weakens and they catch all sorts of diseases,” Douglas-Hamilton said Monday. “Elephants, particularly the young and the old, have begun to die.”

Douglas-Hamilton also says poaching has increased, and links the surge to last year’s decision by international regulatory body CITES to allow Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa to conduct one-off sales of their confiscated ivory stockpiles.

The body had previously banned such sales. Conservationists fear illegal ivory may find its way into those stockpiles.

Although Kenya was not included in the sale, Douglas-Hamilton said any ivory sales immediately push up global demand, since elephants could be killed in Kenya and their tusks smuggled into a foreign stockpile.

Around 23 000 elephants live in Kenya but populations can be devastated by poaching within a couple of years. A recent survey in Chad showed its elephant population had declined from 3 800 to just over 600 in the past three years.

“The drought is one of nature’s big events,” he said. “It hits all animals, elephants, people and others but the ivory trade is much more serious and could do much more damage if it remains unchecked.” –

This area is a beautiful part of Africa. Its a pity about this problem.

Is there a direct correlation between governments that allow hunting and an increase in herds?

hopefully the a@@ h@l@s who killed Campbell Bridges will get made in to toe jam.They live in mwatate. send the local mp to herd the animals he was involed in the murder to. sorry Im off the thread.tree huggers payed 10million to get sports hunting outlawed now the animals are dissappearing due to poaching and game meat business

Kenya: Police Halt Demo Against Wildlife Invasion
Mwakera Mwajefa
11 September 2009


Nairobi — Provincial administration and police on Thursday stopped tens of hundreds of residents protesting the invasion of wild animals from Tsavo West National Park to their villages in Taita district.

Sensing trouble, the area district commissioner Njenga Miiri accompanied by OCPD Herbert Khaemba and Kenya Wildlife Services senior warden intercepted the procession at Sechu Primary School junction on Mwatate-Taveta road and declared it illegal.

However, after a protracted exchange with human rights activists led by the Muslims for Human Rights (Muhuri), the DC agreed to hear their petition and accepted their memorandum.

Speaking to the protesters, Mr Miiri instructed the KWS to intensify patrols along the Maktau-Bura-Mwatate area to ensure no wild animal strays into the villages.

He urged the villagers to go back to their homes promising the government would control the wild from interfering with their lives.

"We share your plight but let's be patient as the government sorts the problem," he said adding that his office would ensure pupils who have not been attending schools do so immediately.

But in separate interviews, three human rights activists Peter Shambi, Chris Mwambingu and Gamaliel Mwangi accused the administration of using the police to intimidate the protesters.


"We informed the OCS of our demo so we do not understand why armed officers should stop our legal procession," they said.

Contacted, the OCPD Khaemba dismissed the accusation saying the protesters should stick to the laid down laws before engaging in illegal activities.

"Demonstrations do not solve problems but dialogue does and KWS has promised to reinforce their personnel to remove the marauding wild animals," he said on phone.

Muhuri programme officer Livingstone Nyando called on the government to provide security for pupils to attend classes in the wildlife infested areas.

"We must stop wastage of such nature where children are being denied their basic rights to education," he said.