Farmers in some parts of Nyeri and Laikipia Counties are counting losses worth millions of shilling following the invasion of jumbos into their farms.
The herds of elephants are believed to be migrating from Mt Kenya forest and some parts of Ol Pejeta as a result of the ongoing rainfall in the region.
Confirming the incident, Kenya Wildlife Warden in charge of Laikipia East David Mwasi said that there were about five herds of elephant which were spotted in the area and they had since launched a patrol to push them away.
Samuel Migwi, one of the farmers in Ichuga, Nyeri County, said that his crops were reduced to nothing after jumbos invaded his three-acre farm where he had put onions, capsicum, bananas and sugar cane under irrigation.
“I used to make Sh10, 000 per week from my farm to educate my children and support my family. I only depended on farming but now I have no other source of income. The investment was a loan from a local financial institution,” lamented Migwi.
He urged the government to contain them in the conservancies aimed at reducing human-wildlife conflict.
Another farmer, Ann Muriuki, decried that on Thursday night, the elephants gained entry into her farm destroying crops amounting to more than Sh300, 000 which she claimed was under irrigation.
“Since Tuesday evening, the elephants have been wreaking havoc in our farms and they have destroyed a variety of crops which are quite costly including fruits, cabbages, maize and onions. We just watch helplessly as they destroy,” she said, adding that they feared for their lives since the jumbos destroyed crops near their homestead.
Additionally, Ms. Muriuki revealed that she had taken a loan of Sh400, 000 to put a two-acre horticultural farm under irrigation which she did not know how to repay the loan following the destruction of the crops by the jumbos.
The more than 20 affected farmers called on the government to compensate them in a timely to help them restart their lives and at the same time find a lasting solution to address human wildlife conflict in the area.
By Muturi Mwangi
