Ganze residents want Tsavo park fenced to curb jumbo menace

Residents of Ganze subcounty have decried increased invasion of their farms by marauding elephants.

They told the Star they have lost hundreds of acres of crops to jumbos roaming in groups of about 20, at any time of the day.

Residents want the government to erect an electric fence around the larger Tsavo National Park, to keep elephants away from farms.

Teddy Mwambire, the former Ganze MP and current Kilifi county assembly speaker, told the Star on Sunday he has lost more than Sh6 million worth of crops.

More than 10 acres of his farmland in Vitengeni, that had cassava, paw paws, bananas, sugar cane and mango trees, have been destroyed.

“I invested more than Sh5 million on these farms. We have not been claiming any compensation. We are now doing gapping,” he said on the phone.

Gapping refers to planting crops afresh to replace the ones destroyed.

The county assembly speaker said in June last year, he petitioned the Senate to compel the Kenya Wildlife Service to erect a fence around the national park, but the Senate referred him to the Tourism ministry.

He then had to petition the ministry but he has received no response to date.

Kilifi, Kwale, Tana River and Taita Taveta counties border the larger Tsavo National Park.

“In my home village, they pass every three days. They were spotted in Rabai the other day,” Mwambire said.

Ganze, Magarini, Kinango, Tana Delta and Voi constituencies are the most affected by the jumbo menace because they all border the national park.

Farmer Robert Chengo said the jumbo menace has lasted two years.

His eight acres of maize crops in Mukuluni village, Bamba ward, in Ganze subcounty were destroyed.

“The elephants destroyed all the crops and we got nothing from the farm. These animals have caused a lot of pain and suffering for us and our families,” Chengo said.

The animals have caused loss of jobs for the young people in Ganze, who work as casuals on people’s farms, he said.

Today, Kavudzuni primary and Goshi school children do not go to school most of the time for fear of encountering the jumbos, Chengo said.

“Mostly, the elephants are seen roaming our villages in the mornings. But throughout the day, they can be spotted at anytime and anywhere,” he said.

Recently, KWS officers, who are overwhelmed by the jumbos because they are few in numbers, estimated that 300 elephants roam the villages.

“We feel for them because they are also under immense pressure from residents. They are few and can do nothing much,” he said.

Chengo said when they make reports, they are given compensation forms to fill but then the process is so tedious for them that most of them give up midway.

He said no one has ever been compensated for the loss of their crops to the jumbo menace.

“The government should erect an electric fence around the park to prevent the animals from crossing over to our villages. They should remain in the forest,” Chengo said.

The farmer said the elephants also stir water pans, making the water unfit for drinking or cooking.

That makes it a double tragedy for residents who now depend on well-wishers and philanthropists like Mombasa Cement to provide clean and free water from them.

“The other day we had no water to drink or cook for almost a week. It is only through Mombasa Cement that we got some water bowsers that supplied us with water,” Chengo said.

He urged the government to construct water pans in the national park so animals can use it and not compete with residents.