Villagers angry with KWS as ‘monkey business’ becomes unbearable

By Renson Mnyamwezi

Taita-Taveta County

A row is brewing between residents of a village in Taita Taveta County and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) over conflict with wild animals.

The residents have alleged KWS relocated monkeys and pythons from another location to a forest on the nearby Taita Hills.

The residents say a strange looking monkey species and scores of pythons were secretly brought near them. The sight of a dead python recently caused a scare in Wundanyi town, after a lorry crushed it near a local abattoir.

Locals say the monkeys terrorise them and destroy crops. Some, they say, break into houses to steal food and destroy fragile property.

Evans Mbinga, a local agricultural officer, said the monkeys destroyed his passion and guava fruit trees in his kitchen garden and terrorised his family. "Sometimes the monkeys climb on the rooftop of my house and refuse to leave. My house is now leaking," said Mr Mbinga.

He said the big animals move in families of between 50 and 100. The most hit areas are Wundanyi and Iyale.

Wundanyi DO David Boen, who is also a victim, said the monkeys caused a lot of destruction and called on KWS to intervene.

"I have lost maize and French beans I had planted in my compound. The animals have also destroyed my television aerial, as they play on the rooftop of my house," said Mr Boen.

But the Tsavo Conservation Area Assistant Director Julius Kimani dismissed as misleading claims that KWS had moved monkeys and snakes to Taita Hills."We’ve never relocated wild animals to the hills. Our policy has been to translocate animals within protected areas, not in human settlements as alleged," said Mr Kimani.

The director told The Standard there was no need to move animals to areas occupied by residents, as the Tsavo Ecosystem was large enough.

Kimani, however, said baboons had been some troublesome. "Baboons are causing havoc, especially in Taveta. Cases of baboons eating goats and chicken have been reported," said the director.