There was drama at Moi Stadium in Voi Town on Saturday when the police scuttled a demonstration Governor Granton Somboja was leading against increased cases of wildlife attacks.
Residents complained that wild animals were also destroying crops in their farms yet their complains to Kenya Wildlife Service had fallen on deaf ears.
Samboja and four MPs who had accompanied him - Jones Mlolwa (Voi), Andrew Mwadime (Mwatate), Danson Mwashako (Wundanyi) - were blocked from accessing the stadium, where they had planned to address residents, by anti-riot police officer.
Several MCAs were also present during the incident.
The politicians, both from the government and opposition side, engaged they officers in a war of words when they found the stadium cordoned off.
Officers claimed
The officers claimed they had orders not to allow the leaders in the facility.
It took the intervention of Voi OCPD Joseph Chesire who later allowed them to address residents who were protesting over frequent elephant invasion into their farms.
Residents said elephants had destroyed mature maize, among other crops, and disrupted learning in several schools.
Sagala MCA Godwin Kilele noted residents of Sagalla, Gimba, Marapu and Talio villages have been suffering due to laxity of KWS management to address their plight.
Samboja said wildlife-animal conflicts had led to loss of life and property and asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene.
“We will seek audience with the President over this menace. KWS has failed to address the problem which is now going out of hand,” said Samboja.
KWS Senior Warden Zainab Salim, who is in charge of Tsavo, told the leaders that more rangers had been deployed in the area to manage the situation.
