The Zetech University fraternity and the neighbouring community have urged the government to intensify the hunt for killer hyenas that continue to wreak havoc in villages within Juja sub-county, Kiambu County.
The situation has led to stakeholders including learning institutions, business entities, and farmers among others to form a task force to weed out the predators by ensuring that all abandoned quarries, which act as hideouts and breeding grounds, are closed and fenced off.
This comes even as the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is in the process of translocating the animals to the nearby Ol Donyo Sabuk Park, to reduce their contact with residents.
During a meeting at the varsity’s Witeithie campus, stakeholders led by Vice Chancellor Prof. Njenga Munene called on KWS to hasten the translocation process saying that they might be forced to take the law into their hands and kill the animals.
Prof. Munene raised concern that the majority of students studying at the Mang’u campus have evening classes and others study at night, noting that they risk falling prey to the hounds.
“Our students sometimes study late and therefore they stand the risk of being attacked by the hyenas. Our request is that the KWS manages this menace so that this neighborhood can become safe for our students,” he said.
The VC quipped that the university will partner with other actors including national and county government officials in the initiative, which he termed as a deliberate strategy by the institution to work closely with the community for their well-being.
The area Assistant County Commissioner (ACC) Wilson Mwangi assured the stakeholders that the situation had been brought under control, adding that measures were being tabled to ensure the safety of the residents.
“The hunt for the hyenas is ongoing and they are being translocated to safe areas and we have resolved to seal off all areas which have been their hiding places so that they cannot return to cause mayhem again,” Mwangi said.
Last year, two primary school children were mauled to death by the marauding hyenas.
Dennis Tiya, a Grade 4 learner at Thiririka Primary School, was attacked and killed by the hyenas while heading home in the company of his friends at Gwa Kigwi village.
On November 18, 2023, Emmanuel Kamande was killed by the hyenas while going home from church in the Kibute area of Witeithie ward. He was in the company of his elder sister and three other children.
By Kamau Njoroge
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