@ppcheti
Lamu villagers have appealed for help to deal with snakes that have invaded homes.
Snakes are fleeing their natural habitats for homesteads in search of water following drought. Many residents are already nursing snake bites.
Hindi, Witu, Kiunga and Basuba areas are among those where people are afraid of venturing out for fear of the reptiles said to be lurking everywhere. Residents are unable to tend to their farms and carry on with normal activities.
The increased number of venomous reptiles is believed to be due to the prolonged dry season that has forced them to flee from heat and pursue habitats inside homes and residential areas.
Basuba village elder Noya Abuli said hundreds of residents are nursing snakebites. Affected persons are seeking compensation from the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife.
Abuli says the local Kenya Wildlife Service office has failed to act, despite numerous reports about the invasion.
“You walk into your own house and you are bitten by a snake. You get into your bed and are awoken by a snakebite. Your try to tend to your farm and unearth a whole family of snakes. I have been bitten thrice in less than two months. We are concerned and the KWS here isn’t helping us,” Abuli said.
Hundreds are scared for their lives, he said.
All dispensaries in the affected areas are either not operational or lack basic medications and antivenom.
Bargoni village elder Doza Dizo said at least 15 people have died from snakebites in the last three months. He said many deaths would have been prevented if the dispensaries had stocked adequate antivenom drugs.
“When a person is bitten by a snake here, we don’t even bother rushing to the dispensaries. Moving a patient from here to the Lamu King Fahad Hospital is costly and time-consuming and patients often die,” Dizo said.
Lamu county KWS senior warden Mathias Mwavita urged residents to brace themselves for increased encounters with wildlife as the drought persists.
“Sometimes we are largely responsible for the problems we encounter. People have cleared up forests and set up habitats. These animals will definitely crawl into your homes. Let us stop invading wildlife habitats,” Mwavita said.
Edited by P.O
