Solai member of the County Assembly has criticised the Kenya Wildlife Services for failing to compensate victims of the frequent human wildlife conflict in the area. Mr Paul Chebor lamented that farmers’ crops are frequently destroyed and their domestic animals killed by the wildlife yet KWS never compensates them. The MCA noted that the people of Solai lose livestock to marauding pythons that inhabit the neighbouring slopes of Menengai Crater and Lake Solai while farmers lose tons of crops to Tortoises, which inhabit the area’s jungles. Speaking to Hivisasa on Wednesday, Chebor said the residents have lived with this problem for long adding KWS “This is not a new problem. We have lived with the problem of human-wildlife conflict for a very long time but the government has been reluctant to take action. We are giving the government the last warning. We want our people to be compensated and a KWS office established in the area with enough rangers,’’ said Chebor. He said that despite of a continued outcry from the residents of the area and intervention of local leaders through petitions to the ministry in charge of Wildlife, no effective intervention had been taken by the government. Recently a herd of elephants suspected to have crossed into the area from Laikipia County caused havoc and a security threat to residents. It prompted the closure of several schools and business centres.

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