This archive report was first published on 14 December 2019.
On December 14, 2019, a man was brutally mauled by a lion in Tuala, Oloosirkon Ward in Kajiado East Constituency, Kajiado County. The incident led to a heightened sense of security in the area.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has since deployed a 24-hour surveillance team to patrol the area and prevent any further attacks by stray lions. The team aims to arrest any stray lion that may be roaming in the area.
However, KWS has refuted allegations circulating on social media that 10 stray lions were on the loose in Ongata Rongai, Ngong, Kitengela, and parts of Karen. In a statement, KWS said, 'This is not true. Members of the public are advised to ignore these false reports.'
The deceased, Rono Kipkurui Simon, had left his place of work on Friday evening destined for his residence before he went missing. Only his head and arm were found at the scene, with the lion guarding the body parts.
Similar incidents have occurred in the past, with KWS officers being forced to kill a lion that was roaming on the Kajiado-Isinya road in 2016 after it attacked a boda boda rider. In the same year, six lions strayed out of the Nairobi National Park and wandered into Rongai and its outskirts, sending panic among residents.
