The CS decried that the menace caused by the hyenas has reached inadmissible levels
Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has instructed the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to relocate all the hyenas from Juja, Kiambu County after a five-year-old child lost his life during an attack by one of the scavengers.
In a statement, the CS decried that the menace caused by the hyenas has reached inadmissible levels, citing the recent loss of two children in the area to hyenas as “so painful to think about.” She did not however specify details regarding the second child attacked in the area as well as when it occurred.
She assured residents in the area that KWS personnel are on the ground to ensure no more lives are lost to wild animals.
KWS officers conducting an exercise at a park in 2024. /KWS
“I have directed KWS to mop up all hyenas from the Juja area as fast as humanly possible and demonstrate to the residents of the area affected that this will be a thing of the past after September 2024,” she announced.
She further noted that she authorized 24-hour KWS surveillance in the Juja area to ensure that no other life is lost forthwith.
Her directive came hours after KWS expressed commitment to expediting the containment of hyena attacks within Nairobi and its neighbouring counties, which made a resurgence for the first time since earlier this year.
KWS’s statement came after the five-year-old child was snatched by a hyena while at a shop with his cousin on the evening of Wednesday, September 4. The attack shook the community, which has seen multiple incidents of hyenas killing residents over the past few months.
The situation saw residents accuse the government of ignoring their pleas for protection. Despite promises from senior leaders, including Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, little has been done to address the growing menace.
Following the September 4 attack, protests broke out on Thursday, with Juja residents blocking the busy Thika Road and calling on KWS to promptly address the menace.
To address the hyena threat, KWS launched Operation Ondoa Fisi-2 on August 8, 2024, following a similar incident in Juja. This operation was a buildup on a previous initiative from November 2023 to tackle rising hyena attacks.
Since the start of Operation Ondoa Fisi-2, KWS revealed that it has successfully tracked, captured, and relocated 38 hyenas, and sealed 12 quarries used as hideouts by the hyenas.
The wildlife service went on to urge the public to limit movement at night, dispose of waste properly to avoid attracting hyenas, and refrain from tampering with traps set for the animals.
“We remain steadfast in ensuring the safety and well-being of Kenyans and urge anyone who spots problematic wildlife to immediately report the sighting through the KWS 24/7 hotline on 0800 597 000 or WhatsApp number +254 726610509,” added KWS.
Meanwhile, witnesses described the attack on the minor as swift and brutal. The boy and his cousin had been sent to a local shop in the Nyasaba area when the hyena pounced, with the body of the deceased, according to police, discovered long after he had been killed and partially eaten up by the wild animal.
A month earlier, Gachagua had promised swift action, pledging to send a team of wildlife officers to deal with the hyenas. He made this assurance during a public event, acknowledging the rising number of incidents in the area.
The area has recorded many other hyena attacks in recent months including another death of a 52-year-old woman just last month.
