Nakuru residents vow to take law in their hands over baboons menace

Just a day after baboons attacked a 10 year old boy in Lake View, the community bordering the Lake Nakuru National Park now wants the management of the facility to contain troops of baboons that have been terrorizing women and children in the area.

The residents drawn from Kivumbini, Flamingo, Rhonda and Nakuru East wards bordering the wild life facility also want the management to begin meeting medical costs for the victims.

This even as a primary school boy attacked on Thursday continues to nurse wounds after receiving treatment from Langalanga Health facility.

That not enough on Friday morning, a troop of baboons from the national park attacked a middle aged woman, leaving her with deep cuts and a hefty bill at Langalanga health center in Nakuru.

According to Beatrice Akinyi, the animals invaded a house where she is employed as a domestic worker and when she attempted to drive them away one of them charged at her and inflicted deep cuts on her right hand.

Akinyi who is now struggling to raise money to meet her medical bill says her bid to reach the management of the National park has been met with frustration as the management maintains that its compensation plan does not cater for baboon bites.

“The animals invaded a house where I am employed as domestic worker and when I attempted to drive them away one of them charged at me and inflicted deep cuts on my right hand. I am now trying to reach to the management of the park but in vain and the hospital bill is now huge” she said.

Sarah Kimani a local human rights activist says residents have lodged numerous complaints about incidents of attacks by baboons and wild dogs from the park and women and children have been particularly vulnerable.

Kimani wants a review of the facility`s compensation policy to allow the park to meet at least half the medical cost of people that fall victims to the animals whose population and encounter with humans is on an ever rising trend.

“Most members of the community around the wild life facility are low income earners who cannot afford the costly drugs that medics recommend for effective treatment against rabies” she said.

The residents accuse the County Government of not stocking enough anti rabies drugs to help health practitioners at Langa Langa health center effectively avert infection of the disease among residents-a complaint following a week of reassurance of adequate drugs from the County`s health executive.

The Irate residents counting massive losses occasioned by the animals are contemplating on taking the law in their hands against the baboons.

PHOTO/Pristone Mambili:A primary pupil shows a deep wound caused by baboons from Lake Nakuru National Park who attacked him in Lake View estate on Thursday.Another middle aged woman was also attacked on Friday.

Author: Martin Gichinga