The Kenya Wildlife Service on Thursday, February 15, 2024, confirmed that some of the hyenas that attacked people in Juja and Rongai were infected with rabies.
KWS said it sent a team to capture hyenas that had inhabited caves in Juja and collected samples which were later taken to the National Veterinary Reference Laboratories (NVRL) for tests.
The same tests were done on a hyena that attacked a university student around Maasai Lodge, Rongai and both tested positive for rabies.
A hyena that had strayed into a compound in Juja on February 11, 2024, was also captured and the test results came back positive.
According to KWS, this explains the aggressive behaviour of the hyenas towards humans.
"The general public in the affected localities in particular are advised to exercise caution as they go about their daily activities as the necessary measures are put in place to manage the situation," read the statement.
KWS added that there would be mass vaccination of dogs in Rongai as this will control the spread of rabies.
This comes just a week after Multimedia University students held protests on Magadi Road after one of them was attacked by a hyena.
The students demanded immediate action by KWS, saying they had raised the issue earlier but it was not addressed.
KWS Senior Assistant Director for Southern Conservation Area, Adan Kalla, addressed the students and outlined measures to contain the animals.
