Farmers in Ndaragwa Constituency, Nyandarua County, are facing a mounting crisis as marauding elephants continue to bypass protective measures, destroying crops and threatening the livelihoods of entire villages. Residents of Raichiri and Mayu in Leshau Pondo Ward have described the animals as remarkably “clever,” noting that they have learned sophisticated ways to cross electric fences designed to keep them at bay.
The frequent invasions have turned daily life upside down. According to local resident Richard Kabari, families are living in constant fear, with the community forced to adopt a grueling survival strategy. “Our young men now sleep during the day and stay awake at night to keep the elephants away,” Kabari shared. The risk is ever-present, as the elephants are reported to roam both during the day and under the cover of darkness.
The financial toll has been devastating. Farmers lamented that despite their hard work every season, the elephants often strike just as crops reach maturity. The repeated destruction has driven some residents to abandon farming entirely, unable to sustain the cycle of loss during the harvesting periods.
Nyandarua County Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Game Warden Paul Wambugu confirmed that the elephants are suspected to be straying from the Kibuko and ADC Mutara ranches in neighboring Laikipia County. While Wambugu assured residents that KWS is monitoring the situation and remains committed to compensation—noting that Sh33 million has been paid out over the last three years—locals feel more urgent action is needed.
Ndaragwa MP George Gachagua has taken up the cause, promising to escalate the matter to the national government. Expressing deep concern over the potential for loss of life, Gachagua urged the government to provide immediate relief food and farm inputs to the affected families who have lost their food security.
As the human-wildlife conflict intensifies, the residents of Ndaragwa are calling for more robust interventions to protect their homes and farms from these increasingly adaptable giants.
By Breaking Kenya News
