Elephants destroy farm produce in Kaharati

By Alice Waigura and Bob Aston

Residents of Kaharati village in Sipili Division, Laikipia County, are counting losses after a group of eight (8) elephants from Lariak Forest, strayed into their farms and destroyed crops on Monday night. 

 

Geoffrey accessing the damage done by the elephants

The elephants are said to have come out of the forest at around 10:00 pm. Residents tried to scare them away by shouting and using sport lights and lights from motorbikes.

The farm of Geoffrey Njuguna was badly affected. He had planted cabbages, kales, sugarcane and oranges in his farm. Most of his crops were destroyed except a few cabbages and oranges. He had invested more than Ksh 40,000 in the farm to plant the cabbages alone.

“I was planning to harvest on Friday then I take my cabbages to Sipili on Saturday during the market. I will not be able to do so, now that the elephants have destroyed everything,” said Geoffrey.

 

Some of the bananas destroyed

The elephants are said to have spent the better part of the night in the area eating farm produce. The residents allege that the elephants normally come out of the forest every time when they are about to harvest.

“I am still confused. All my investments have been destroyed. I do not know what I will do next,” said Geoffrey.

The village elder was also not spared either. John Kamau had his bananas and maize destroyed. He had harvested his maize and stored it in a granary but the elephants destroyed the granary and cleared all the maize.

 

“I usually depend on maize and bananas to feed my family. The elephants ate most of my bananas and maize which I had harvested and stored in my granary for my family upkeep,” said Kamau.

 

Cases of elephants invading farms during harvest periods has been on the rise in the area. Most of the residents say that the elephants normally come out at night when most of them go to sleep.