Residents of Kiamugumo village in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County are urgently calling on the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to capture a hyena responsible for attacking four individuals on Wednesday.
The incident occurred as the victims, four women identified as Susana Wawira, Marion Wawira, Toronto Macharia, and Sicily Murugi, were picking tea on their farms.
Expressing their distress, David Muriithi, representing the concerned residents, highlighted the pervasive fear in the community.
“We are living in fear, to the extent that we hesitate to send our children to Kiamugumo and Ngariama Primary Schools.”
The four women, who sustained injuries in the attack, were quickly taken to local private hospitals at Githure shopping centre for medical attention.
Marion Wawira shared her harrowing experience, recounting how the hyena attacked her from behind. Fortunately, a passerby near their tea farm came to her aid.
Expressing concern for the safety of their children, Marion said that they feared for their children who leave very early in the morning to go to school as they might fall prey to wild animals.
David Muriithi expressed dissatisfaction with the advice given by Kenya Wildlife Service on how to prevent hyena attacks, questioning the practicality of communicating with wild animals.
“How can you talk with a hyena? Is it a human being? They are joking with hyenas near Mt Kenya forest,” Muriithi remarked, underscoring the urgency of capturing the hyena to ensure the safety of the village residents.
