- Maasai herders, he said, have also complained about illegal detention for days on end by KWS officers.
- Ochieng said the KWS officers are not aliens and are expected to deal with such issues of straying livestock with humility.
Image: KURGAT MARINDANY
Kajiado Senator Kanar Seki has alleged that the Kenya Wildlife Service is using “excessive” force in chasing stray Maasai livestock from Tsavo East National Park.
Seki on Tuesday said many weak cows that have strayed into Tsavo East National Park have died after the KWS started using choppers in forcing them out of the wildlife conservation areas.
“The cows that stray in the park are chased out by choppers. They break their legs as a result of that. When our people go and look for the lost cows in the park, they are arrested by the KWS rangers and fined thousands of shillings,” Seki said.
The senator said the Maasai living in Makueni county and along the Tsavo East National Park border have been adversely affected by the unfortunate move by the KWS to drive out livestock from the park.
“At this time of calamitous drought, it is understandable that some livestock may stray into the national park,” Seki said.
He said that wild animals have also been straying from national parks into private farms owned by the Maasai community and sometimes causing destruction to property, serious injury and even death.
“While the Maasai community has been tolerant of the wildlife straying into private property, KWS has acted ruthlessly when the reverse is the case," the senator said.
He said, he witnessed a chopper belonging to KWS being used in the operation, resulting in injuries to livestock and herdsmen seeking to recover their animals from the park.
Maasai herders, he said, have also complained about illegal detention for days on end by KWS officers.
“This situation cannot be allowed to continue. Maasai leaders should take great exception to the impunity being displayed by KWS,” he said.
“As the senator for Kajiado, I call upon the director general of KWS to personally provide direction in this serious matter before more damage is done,” Seki said.
He also called upon the CS for Tourism to look into the matter.
Responding to the senator's allegations, a senior warden in charge of Tsavo East National Park, Captain Ken Ochieng, denied claims that their officers injured some Maasai cows.
“Every time there are such cases of livestock straying into the park, we are humans and cannot use force against our fellow people,” Ochieng said on the telephone.
Ochieng said the KWS officers are not aliens and are expected to deal with such issues of straying livestock with humility.
He denied claims by the senator that Maasai herders are detained for days on end and fined thousands of shillings.
“We don't have choppers chasing livestock and for one to claim we use choppers, that is wrong,” Ochieng said.