How Amboseli solar-powered fence keeps off elephants

In 2020, a lone elephant roamed through the compound of Amboseli Lewis Secondary School in Kajiado South.

The lone jumbo majestically moved to where a 10,000 water tank was located before quenching its thirst.

“It destroyed the only tank that had been donated by the Kenya Wildlife Service to provide the school with water. It was devastating as we had to trek two to three kilometres to get water,” Amboseli Lewis secondary deputy principal James Obunga said. 

The school is barely 500 meters from the Amboseli National Park.

Interestingly, some learners trek eight kilometres to get to school, with the dangers of being attacked by wildlife.

The national wildlife census conducted in 2021 shows that the Amboseli-Magadi Ecosystem had 1,641 elephants. 

Obunga said after the jumbo had had enough water to quench its thirst, it started destroying the tank. All this time, students were terrified and classes had to be suspended momentarily.

After destroying the tank, the beast walked out.

But as learning got underway, boda boda operators would every minute zoom past the school, interrupting learning once again.

This forced the school management to plead with conservation NGOs to help secure the school compound.

Their prayers were answered when the World Wide Fund for Nature-Kenya heeded their prayers and the construction of the fence started in May this year.

Today, a solar-powered fence of 1.2km secures the school, thanks to WWF-Kenya through funding to a tune of Sh1.2 million from the Michael Otto Foundation helping community wildlife co-existence.

Amboseli Lewis secondary has a population of 200 students and five teachers employed by the Teachers Service Commission and another four employed by the board of management.

The school started with a population of eight students.

Within the Amboseli ecosystem, wildlife, especially jumbos, make impromptu visits to schools even during learning hours, putting the lives of learners in jeopardy.

Solar-powered deterrent fences however repulse them.

The fence has also helped control trespassers.

Within the Amboseli ecosystem, it is normal to have students reporting to school at 10am as wildlife is blocking the roads.

The close interactions between humans and wildlife risk spreading zoonotic diseases.

Stakeholders such as the WWF, Department of Public Health and KWS have in the recent past helped to vaccinate 300 dogs.

Obunga said the fence has not only introduced discipline in the school as students' movements are tracked, but also repulsed thieves.

He said before the fence was erected, students would show up in the morning and disappear minutes later.

“The solar fence is also cheap as solar is natural. Solar also does not harm wildlife but repulse them,” he added. 

The school, he said, has instilled conservation in learners, thanks to the collaboration with the KWS.

They know too well the benefits associated with conservation, Obunga said. 

At Naorr-Enkare Primary School, another 1.1km fence with seven strands is also up and running.

Grace Orumoi, who is the head teacher, said before the fence was erected, students were always terrified by wildlife.

“The fence has also helped us control learners from sneaking out of school before time,” she said.

She added that the school has plans to plant trees as the compound is now secured.

Amboseli National Park assistant director Paul Wambi said the facility is known for wildlife diversity, as well as the Maasai culture.

“Community is very important to us in conservation and management in Amboseli National Park because the community is our first line of defence,” he said.

He added that the park is very small, hence wildlife interacts closely with the community.

“The park is not fenced and we have migratory species which are in and out of the park every time,” he said.

During the wet season, assistant director said, wildlife spent more than 75 per cent of their time outside the park

Wambi said they play a crucial role in the provision of security, reporting intelligence on the movement of the species.

“We have been able to achieve most of the conservation objectives because of collaboration with partners."

He added that the service has worked closely with the WWF-Kenya to minimise human-wildlife conflicts.

Wambi said the partnership has yielded solar-powered boreholes around the park so that there is enough water for wildlife and the community.

He said added that have also done solar lights within the bomas around the park to ward off predators.

“We are also doing predator-proof boma so that predators cannot access livestock which is one of the key livelihood options for the community.”

Another solar-powered fence has also been erected at Eluai Primary School, thanks to the partnership.

School principal David Mutuku said the fence, which was completed in May this year, is one of the successful projects.

“It was difficult for teachers to control learners. This area is also a corridor for wildlife,” Mutuku said.

Before the fence, the school compound attracted all manner of domestic animals such as donkeys, cows and goats, among others, disrupting learning, he said. 

The 16 acres of school land is protected following the erection of a 1.1km solar-powered fence, put up at a cost of Sh1 million.