KIAMBU, Kenya – A recent incident occurred in Juja, Kiambu County, where a woman was mauled to death by hyenas as she returned home from the market.
The remains of Nancy Njoki, 52, a food vendor in the area, were found in the area after she had been attacked and killed.
She was heading to her house in the area to prepare food for the day for her customers when she was attacked, police said.
How the Kenyan gov’t is reacting to the human-animal conflict
This tragic event highlights the ongoing human-wildlife conflict in the area.
Following this incident, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said the government would track and capture the marauding hyenas that have been prowling in the area, mauling people and causing anxiety.
Gachagua said the Kenya Kwanza administration would dispatch a team of security personnel to the area to drive out the wild animals and address the menace following cases of increased attacks.
“I think this is something we need to look at holistically. But in the meantime, we will dispatch a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) team there to help us get rid of these animals,” Gachagua said during a public event in Juja.
What Rigathi Gachagua attributed the increased hyena attacks to
The second in command, however, blamed the increased hyena attacks in Juja on abandoned quarries, which could have provided hiding places for the hyenas before launching attacks on the residents.
“The issue of hyenas is becoming worrisome. I have talked to the KWS director general, who attributed the issue to the many abandoned quarries in Juja. These abandoned quarries are the hideouts of the hyenas,” explained Gachagua.
Earlier, KWS claimed it had promptly deployed the Problem Animal Management Unit, which strategically placed traps, initiated hyena captures and mobilised a veterinary unit to translocate and relocate the hyenas from the human-dominated area.
This was after locals complained of a lack of action from authorities to address the menace.
“It’s high time that the government took action against these hyenas before we take the law into our arms,” warned Stephen Muriuki, one of the residents.
Gachagua was responding to Juja MP George Koimburi’s plea for the government’s intervention after the death of Njoki, who was mauled to death by a hyena recently.
Koimburi said that in the past five months, the wild animals had killed several people, including children.
“The quarries are also a security threat and can be a breeding area for mosquitoes. So, it is also a question we need to address about these quarries. As we mine the natural stones, what happens next to them?” the DP posed.
