Operations in Lake Naivasha were disrupted after a hippo killed another man, bringing the death toll to three in just four days.
The attack took place near Karagita landing beach. KWS officers moved in and killed the animal, which had been causing fears as it charged towards boats and those operating in the area.
Last week, the same hippo attacked and killed two fishermen near the same area in two separate incidents. Cases of human-wildlife conflict around the lake have been on the rise.
The latest death brought to 10 the number of people, mainly foot-fishermen, who have been attacked and killed by the animals this year.
David Kilo of the Lake Naivasha Boat Owners Association said the animal first attacked a group of the illegal fishermen forcing them to flee. He said an hour later it attacked again, catching the deceased on the lower abdomen and cutting him into two.
“The same hippo that killed two people last week attacked again and killed the third person whose body has been recovered,” he said.
Kilo lauded the KWS for killing the hippo and called for joint patrols between officers from the Fisheries department and KWS to deal with the poachers and the hippo menace.
“In nearly all the attacks, those killed by the hippos are illegal fishermen. There is a need to address the sharp rise in the number of the hippos,” he said.
A senior KWS officer who declined to be named said the hippo was violent.
"Once it attacked the first victim, it became very violent charging at boats and human beings, but we are glad we have managed to kill it,” he said.
Earlier, Friends of Lake Naivasha chairman Francis Muthui urged the KWS to cull the animals to reduce the attacks. He said several parts of the lake had been invaded by hippos and it was becoming difficult even for tourists to visit.
“We've seen the relocation of buffalos and zebras and the same should be done to hippos in this lake since they are increasing by the day,” he said.
Muthuli said culling would be tricky but added that it is the best solution to the crisis.
