ABERDARES-HIPPO ATTACKS

ATTACKS REPPORTED IN THE PAST THREE YEARS.

A hippo knows no diversion but aggression to remove any obstable
infront of it and woe unto you if the wild four ton mamal comes your
way during the night on your way home from work or at an army training
camp.

Army Major Kipyator Kosgey had accompanied a platoon of army men to
the Thomson Falls training camp when he was attacked by a lone hippo
within the camp under the cover of darkness.

He was mauled on both legs, chest and hands before his colleagues
raised alarm forcing the rogue hippo to flee back to Manguo swamp.

The committee observed that the condition of the army major who had
been admitted to Forces Memorial Hospital for two years following the
attack could have deteriorated following complications of the attack.

The Major who sustained serious injuries after he was attacked in
Nyahururu two years ago was paid Sh 50,000 by the Nyandarua Wildlife
Compensation Committee.

Nyandarua Kenya Wildlife Service Officer in Charge of Nyandarua
Station Mr Dominic Kilonzo said the army major sustained fractures and
dislocations on his legs. He also suffered broken ribs during the
incident that left army men at the training camp under severe shock.

Yesterday, the committee chaired by Acting Nyandarua North DC James
Wambua and attended by representatives from the police, health and
wildlife departments also awarded Sh 290,000 to three others.

The family of Mr James Macharia Chege was awarded Sh 200,000 after he
was trampled to death by a rogue elephant at Njabini in Nyandarua
South district. The elephant had strayed from Aberdare National Park
into farming areas.

A new KCC employee, Mr Joseph Mwenda was awarded Sh 40,000 when he
sustained slight injuries after being attacked by a hippo on his way
home from work. Mr Stephen Maina Njuguna received Sh 50,000 from
injuries sustained after the attack.

Mr Kilonzo said that the army major’s relative were yet to communicate
with his office regarding his condition and he had no other
information but to claim award for injuries suffered.

The committee also heard that compensation for six other people passed
in May his year was still being awaited.

In an earlier interview Mr Kilonzo said he was shocked to see men in
drunken stupor walking along a path at Manguo at midnight and
cautioned residents to be careful since Manguo swamp is home to about
300hippos.

Pleas by KWS that the swamp together with its source Lake Ol Bolosat
and the 4300hectare be fenced off to pave way for creation of a hippo
sanctuary hit a dead end last month after it emerged that some land
speculators had acquired land title deeds for land considered to be
riparian land.

The same people have been selling the same to unsuspected Internally
Displaced Persons at exorbitant fees thereby raising feared that
another Mau issue could be in the offing.

KWS said that it was ready to take over management of the area but
added that the title deeds had caused unnecessary legal hurdles.