Elephants kill villager in Masinga

Inaction on elephants
leads to death of villager

By Vincent Matheka in Masinga

Three elephants roaming through villages in Masinga

A man has been trampled to death by elephants marauding villages in Machakos County.

The incident happened this afternoon at Makutano Ma Ndei, Mukusu sub-location in Masinga Sub County.

The three elephants were earlier reported to be roaming through villages in Kaewa and Musumaa sub locations of Masinga in Machakos County,  sending panic among residents.

Life for the villagers has been disrupted as they ran helter-skelter as they await intervention from Kenya Wildlife Services.

The jumbo are believed to have escaped from the nearby Mwea Game Reserve. This morning,  one of the jumbo trampled upon a goat in the unfolding scenarios.

 By the time of going to press, no action had been taken by either local administration of the KWS.

Girl,10, killed in hyena attack

By Dennis Mwikya

A ten-year-old girl was devoured  by a hyena in Katelembu area in the outskirts of Machakos town on Christmas eve.

Area  Josephine Munyiva said the bizzare incident happened when the girl was looking after goats in a nearby grazing field.

Machakos Town area is under pressure from wildlife after it experienced some rainfall forcing animals to migrate from Kapiti Plains is search of pasture. Hyenas have followed them in search of prey.

Farmers have been complaining of attacks on their cattle by wild animals. 

The locals accuse local KWS officers  of laxity in discharging their duties and responding to emergencies even after several complains were launched regarding wildlife.

Three suffocate to death at Athi River factory

By Dennis Mwikya

Three people  died  today while on duty at Golden Africa Limited in Athiriver, Machakos County.

The trio died through suffocation while removing sludge from a water treatment pit.

According to Athiriver South OCPD Marry Njoki,the three men had not donned Safety gears as required.

"They died by  way of suffocation due to lack of oxygen. we have taken their bodies to Machakos level 5 hospital morgue",  said Njoki.

Efforts to get comment from the company management proved futile after journalists were barred from accessing the premise.

The company claims on its website to be a leading manufacturer of edible oils.

The police boss said it was responsibility of the company to ensure safety of the workers, adding that postmortem would be conducted to establish the cause and circumstances of death.