Outcry after rogue monkeys invade farms in Kisumu

Residents of Koru in Kisumu County are counting losses running in to hundreds of thousands of shillings following an invasion by monkeys over the last three months.

According to residents, the monkeys have not only destroyed crops but have also posed a security threat to young children, with domestic animals also suffering the wrath of the mammals.

A typical morning for 70-year-old Philgona Were for the last three months has been using a sling to drive monkeys out of her farm.

The broken stems of maize and beans on her farm paint the dire situation pressing residents of Limtidi village.

“Nawacha kulima hapa nawachia nyani nakwenda kulima ile side ingine ya miwa, nyani inafuata mimi mpaka huko…inapita hii shamba hapa ya jirani yangu inakula maembe kubwa kubwa…ikimaliza inaruka tena inaingia kwa shamba yangu,” said the mother of seven.

Nancy Odago, a fellow area resident, said: “Tukipanda miwa wanatoa…tukipanda mahindi wanatoa…ukipanda viazi wanakula…hapa kwa boma yangu wanakaa tu sasa kama kondoo.”

An estimated 20 acres of crop has been destroyed, with residents claiming that the monkey population has grown exponentially. The mammals are allegedly attacking women, children and domestic animals.

The destruction on the farms shows the extent of the escalating human wildlife conflict at the village, and with the government having put investments to ensure food security, residents are appealing to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to trap the destructive monkeys and save their farms.