A 69-year-old man was on Thursday morning trampled to death by an elephant at Marmanet area in Laikipia County.
According to Nyahururu police boss Ezekiel Chepkwony, the deceased identified as Richard Kinyua was killed when several elephants invaded his home in Marmanet Village of Laikipia County.
The man was said to be attempting to chase away the animals with the help of neighbours when one of the jumbos attacked him.
“The deceased, a former head teacher at Kinguti primary school succumbed to serious injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at Nyahururu County and referral hospital after five marauding elephants invaded his home at dawn,” he said
He becomes the second victim of the attack after a Kenya Wildlife Service officer was killed by an elephant at Rumuruti forest a month ago.
In September Deputy President William Ruto commissioned the construction of a Sh 200 million wildlife fence around the Rumuruti-Marmanet Forest.
During the commissioning of the fence in Rumuruti town, the government also promised to fence off other areas prone to human wildlife conflicts as it planned to pay off pending claims for injury, deaths and destruction done by the wildlife in the past.
However residents led by Marmanet MCA Mr. Simon Kanyutu have lamented that the compensation process was yet to commence in the county.
The MCA said that wild animals had been terrorizing residents for the last three months despite the commissioning of the fence.
“People have lost crops worth millions of shillings and yet no compensation. We have been complaining to the relevant authorities and yet no action is being taken,” he complained.
Mr. Kanyutu regretted that no compensation has since been done to the residents who have lost their farm produce and have lost their people.
Contacted, Nyahururu KWS senior warden Mr. Jacob Orahale said that the stray elephants had been taken back to their habitat.
He said that the process to erect the electric fence was on and assured residents that normalcy will resume once the fence is completed.
By Jesse Mwitwa
