A 35-year-old guard was killed by a hippo on Tuesday night during a patrol within Tatu coffee estate in Ruiru.
Patrick Muteti was a security officer working with Kofee Naf Company that owns the estates and met his death as he guarded the farm.
Ruiru police boss Isaac Thuranira said that at about 7pm on Tuesday, the security manager at the coffee company reported to the police that one of his men had been killed by a hippo while patrolling the farm.
Ruiru’s Kenya Wildlife Service officer Thomas Muiru advised the company’s management to avail a vehicle to the security officers to facilitate safe night patrols.
“Hippos come out at night to feed since they can’t bear the heat from the sun during the day. Therefore, residents should desist from walking at night,” Muiru explained.
Muiru also cautioned residents who steal coffee from the estate, saying that they expose themselves to the risk of being attacked by wild animals.
The company allegedly started the security patrols since some residents were picking coffee from the farm to sell it on the black market.
The body of the deceased was taken to Bishop Okoye funeral home in Thika.