This archive report was first published on 18 June 2020.
Published on June 18, 2020, residents of Kimorori Wempa ward in Murang'a County are being held hostage in their homes by marauding hippos that have been straying into their farms, destroying crops and posing a danger to those venturing near the dams.
Area MCA Amos Murigi said the situation has been ongoing since November last year, with no response from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). He noted that a man was fatally attacked by a hippo in his farm last year, and that the residents have not known peace since then.
According to Murigi, the situation has been exacerbated by the fact that parents have had to accompany their children to and from schools for safety, with day schools starting as late as 9 am in January and February due to the presence of aggressive animals roaming around the dams early in the morning.
Meanwhile, a County Assembly committee has raised concerns about a shortage of sanitisers in public facilities, despite the Murang'a County Government producing 600 litres of the product weekly for distribution.
Health committee chairman Daniel Chege Mwangi attributed the shortage to an increase in demand following high levels of preparedness against Covid-19 initiated by health experts in the county.
Elizabeth Mwangi, who had petitioned the county government to take measures to combat the spread of the disease, appealed for the continuation of fumigation exercises in markets and the installation of hand washing tanks in all health facilities.
