A woman from Makueni County is counting her losses after a herd of elephants invaded her farm and destroyed valuable property, leaving her devastated after years of hard work and investment in agriculture.
Hannah Masila recently returned to Kenya after spending years abroad to pursue farming. However, what was meant to be an opportunity to build her livelihood back home has turned into a painful experience as elephants continue to raid her property.
According to her account, the latest invasion caused extensive damage, with the losses estimated at hundreds of thousands of shillings and potentially running into millions. Masila said the family had experienced repeated elephant invasions, but the most recent incident left them struggling to comprehend the scale of the destruction.
The farm has been a source of income for the family for decades, making the situation particularly distressing. Masila expressed her frustration at watching years of effort and financial investment suffer extensive damage in a single night.
“Imagine watching 20 years of hard work and investment get reduced to nothing overnight. Honestly, sijui hata niseme nini. It’s heartbreaking,” she lamented.
The repeated invasions have also taken an emotional toll on the family, who are worried about the future of their farm and the possibility of the elephants returning to cause further damage.
In the wake of the latest incident, Masila said the family reported the matter to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). They were given forms to fill out as they sought assistance following the destruction. However, the outcome of the process remained unclear at the time of the report.
As they await assistance, the family is exploring additional ways to protect their property from further invasions. Masila revealed that they had installed more lights around the farm and were looking for beehives, while also considering installing an electric fence.
For Masila and her family, the immediate challenge is finding a lasting way to protect their investment and preserve a livelihood they have spent years building. Until effective preventive measures are in place, the threat of further elephant raids continues to weigh heavily on them.