The Kenya Wildlife Service plan to restock the Rimoi National Game Reserve in Elgeyo Marakwet has been called a curse by residents.
They say it will increase the already high number of human-wildlife cases. They said the government ignores their plight.
The residents marched to the governor's office and demanded they be involved in all matters concerning the game reserve in the vast Kerio Valley.
Governor Rotich had to intervene and address the angry residents.
Residents also said the reserve was occupying their ancestral land, which they are demanding back.
The protesters through representatives Daniel Chesire, Mzee Wilson Kiptoo and Patrick Chemwolo threatened to take unspecified action if their grievances are ignored.
Mzee Kiptoo said the community has written numerous letters of grievances to authorities but no one paid attention.
"We have been tossed from here and there over our ancestral land. We want the land to revert to our community. The game reserve does not benefit us at all and in fact our people have suffered a lot," Mzee Kiptoo said.
He said many residents had been attacked and killed or injured by the wild animals, yet it was difficult to get compensation from the government.
“If it was possible we would milk the wild animals to get some milk as a benefit but we cannot and it has become intolerable for us to live with the wild animals,”Kiptoo said.
Chesire said there has never been any social corporate investment from KWS which continued to occupy the land and carry out restocking programmes without consulting the local community.
He claimed that the lease agreement for the land on which the game reserve is located had expired and that is why they want it reverted back to the community..
"There are no school bursaries, no road network done by KWS and the community has completely gained nothing. What do you want us to do?" Cheshire asked.
Rotich said he would reach out to the National Land Commission and Kenya Wildlife Service to convene an urgent meeting with communities living along the edges of the reserve.
“I am aware of the many grievances you have been raising as a community about the game reserve. For now I can promise I will convene an urgent meeting with the relevant authorities so that we dialogue for solutions,” Rotich said.
KWS officials in charge of the Rimoi reserve said they were not authorized to comment on matters raised by the community. KWS plansto restock the reserve with giraffes among other animals
Rotich said the complaints raised by the locals were relevant and have to be addressed.
The governor however denied claims that there was a lot of revenue generated by the county government from the reserve.
"Having checked the records, it is only about Sh400,000 which is generated from the reserve. Not as much as claimed,"Rotich said.
The governor said there was need to devise ways in which the community would benefit from the reserve either directly or indirectly by exploiting tourism potential.
(Edited by v. Graham)
