Nancy Nduta shows some of the maize combs left by the monkeys which have wrecked havoc in Kijabe area in Lari constituency, Kiambu. [Photo: the-star.co.ke]Residents of Macani village at Kijabe ward in Lari constituency on Monday went on the rampage threatening to trap and kill monkeys they say have been destroying their crops and attacking women.One resident, Lydia Njeri, said that women have been forced to wear trousers since the primates, which move in a troop of 20 to 30, attack anyone in a dress or skirt."We feel they fear men and we are now forced to wear trousers to look like men. Anyway, who wants to be followed by monkeys making loud noises?” Njeri said as quoted by the Star.Another resident, Charles Kimani, said the monkeys have almost eaten all their crops in the farms."You cannot see a fruit, maize, beans, peas, vegetable, carrots, spinach, potatoes or sweet potatoes on our farms. They have all been eaten by the monkeys," Kimani said.Kimani added that they have resorted to making wooden traps as the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) had remained unresponsive to their cries.Nancy Nduta said the monkeys have destroyed five acres of her maize crop: "I don’t know who will compensate me. I support any means to eradicate this menace."The residents have now vowed to kill every monkey trapped until they eradicate all of them.According to these residents, the worst hit areas by this menace include Macani, Kijabe Hospital, Kijabe Boys and Kijabe Girls high schools, King’atu and Kiambogo villages.The monkeys are said to be from Kijabe and Ngubi forests and dry weather is believed to have driven them from the forests into farms in search of food.

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