Wild animals invade Lamu farms after residents flee

Wild animals are destroying crops in Pandanguo, Jima and Poromoko in Lamu after the residents fled their homes in the wake of renewed insecurity.

The residents have not visited their farms since the recent attacks by suspected Al-Shabaab militants that left 13 people dead, including four police officers.

Mr Musa Guyo, a resident, said animals had destroyed at least 500 acres of crop belonging to various farmers in Pandanguo within the few days that farms had been left unattended.

“Since the attack at Pandanguo Police station on Wednesday last week, many of us have never stepped in their farms. Wild animals including monkeys, wild pigs, buffaloes, and hippos have taken advantage of our absence to feast in our farms day and night. We don’t know what our families will feed on,” he said.

Some residents of Jima and Poromoko villages where nine people were killed on Friday had to vacate their homes and farms and are camping at the Witu AIC Church.

Farm owners said they were afraid they might face food crisis since many crops had been destroyed.

The residents at the camp called on the Kenya Wildlife Service to intervene and protect their farms from further damage.

“It is unfortunate that the wild animals have now turned our farms into food havens immediately after we fled.

“We are used to staying out at night to guard our farms and crops but since the Friday attack, we can’t do that. That means we have paved the way for the wild animals to take advantage of the situation to invade our farms,” said Kaingu Kadzomba, a Jima resident.

Farmers in Milimani, Basuba, Baure, Kiunga and Ishakani in Lamu East — where acting Interior secretary Fred Matiang’i on Saturday imposed a 90-day dusk-to-dawn curfew — have also expressed fears that their crops could also be destroyed.

“The curfew hinders us from venturing outside at night as from 6.30pm to 6.30am.

“This is the time that wild animals are very active in our farms including monkeys, wild pigs, buffaloes, zebras and hippos."

“That means we will lose a lot of our farm produce during this three months of the curfew. The government should look into this and compensate us by the end of the curfew period,” said Mr Bonaya Salim, a farmer.

Meanwhile, tension still remains high in Pandanguo, Jima and Poromoko villages in Lamu West despite assurances from the government and security units alike that security had been beefed up.