A meeting to discuss human wildlife conflict at Embakasi location in Athi River sub-county on Saturday flopped.
The residents failed to get to resolutions with the officers from Kenya Wild Life Service and provincial administration in a meeting held by the two after a lion was reportedly killed by the locals two days after officers from KWS killed another in Kitengela town.
They demanded to be addressed by the director of KWS William Kiprono for an agreement to be reached between the government and the community on human wildlife conflict.
The locals claimed KWS was swift and active whenever wild animals were killed by members of the community in the region but reluctant when livestock were killed by wildlife.
“Officers from KWS and Athi River sub-county provincial administrators held the Thursday meeting to talk to the residents on human wildlife conflict following the killing of a lion at Embakasi one week ago, their attempts to persuade the locals not to kill wildlife was not fruitful since no resolutions were arrived at. Members of the community demanded to know why KWS officers were active and responded quickly whenever lions were killed but adamant when cattle, sheep and goats were killed by the same wildlife,” said resident Wilson Kisemei.
“The meeting took place but resolutions not met, the community wants to meet the KWS director to discuss the issue and come up with long term solutions to the problem once and for all,” said Kisemei.
Kisemei said construction of the Standard Gauge Railway had caused a lot of disturbances in Nairobi National Park prompting the wild animals move out of it to the community thereby consistently attacking livestock and human beings.
“We wonder why KWS keeps telling us not to kill wildlife while the same animals keep killing our cattle, goats and sheep. Furthermore, they themselves shot dead a lion that had been for several hours protected by members of the public in Kitengela town recently,” said Kisemei.
The residents said they had got no problems with the wildlife but wanted to meet with the director so as to discuss on how the park can be well secured to prevent the animals from moving into the community.
They said they do not see future of the park if status quo on KWS operations were maintained.