Local residents of Mwatate believe that the Kenya Wildlife Services is being unreasonable and neglecting its duty of protecting all parks and reserves in the country by letting some illegal herders to graze at the Tsavo West National Park. The residents say these outsiders were let in at the expense of local community members, whose land is constantly invaded by wildlife from the park and they destroy their crops and other properties.
This report was given to the Mwatate MP Andrew Mwadime and the Environment principal secretary Richard Lesiyampe during a meeting held at Bura. According to one of the locals, this park has become a ranch by external grazers. He added that these herders are also armed with guns and do poaching which is why elephants are running away from the park to the villages for fear of their lives.
The Taita ranchers are to blame as they host the grazers in their land, these guests sneak their animals into the park at night and during the dry seasons. The Kenya wildlife service has been encouraged to do its work and also to start projects that will benefit residents like drilling boreholes and building classrooms.
An electric fence seems very much needed in this case so that people and wildlife can respect the original park boundary.
