Villagers record crop losses due to monkey invasion

Monkeys at City Park on June 7, 2021. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

Farmers in Kwanza, Trans Nzoia County are staring at huge losses and food shortages following invasion of their farms by monkeys.

With drought in parts of the country, the animals have overrun local farms, destroyed crops and extended their damage to homesteads.

The primates are giving residents and farmers sleepless nights. Poultry farmers have not been spared as the animals eat eggs leaving huge losses in their trail.

Farmers along river banks of Sabwani are cursing as the animals ruin crops such as maize under irrigation.

Vegetable and fruits worth millions of shillings have been lost to the monkeys. A local farmer Rose Nyaboke said she has lost investment worth Sh100,000.

"It is a disaster. These monkeys are daring and have ruined my investment," said Nyaboke who grows vegetable and fruits in Maziwa estate. The monkeys, Nyaboke said, descend on the farms during day and night.

"The monkeys engage me in running battles. Not even my dog is can chase them away," said Nyaboke.

There are fears the invasion could lead to a food crisis in the area since farmers are currently unable to supply vegetable and fruits to Kitale town.

"It is uneconomical and wasteful," said Mr Zadock Mukalabai. Vegetables and fruits destroyed by the monkeys include sukuma wiki, Suchaa and tomatoes.

The monkeys from Section Six, KCC and Showground forests have become a bitter pill for the locals, who now want the Kenya Wildlife Service to come to their rescue.

"This is the worst year. The cost of food is high and it is disappointing that these animals have caused havoc and wiped out crops," said Mukalabai.

Some residents have been forced to stay at home full time to stop the monkeys from intrusion.

"They eat maize flour and any food they find in the house," said Ms Linet Simiyu.

A poultry farmer Ken Theuri said the monkey catch chicken and toss them in the air and leave them to die.

The residents said the monkeys had become a menace and urged the national government to intervene.

"We have struggled to invest in irrigation farming due to prevailing drought and it is bad that there are no returns," said Mzee Nyakeriga. Farmers said they had unsuccessfully tried to address the problem.