NAIROBI, Kenya
A demonstration in Kenya against the threats posed by wildlife turned deadly when four protesters were shot dead, police said Thursday.
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| FILE: Elephant footprints walking through and feeding in a maize farm |
The protesters clashed with
security forces, resulting in the fatal shootings, Mashuru town police chief
Charles Chepkonga said, adding that police would investigate what happened.
Kajiado county Governor. Joseph Ole
Lenku in a statement called on police to avoid using “excessive force” and
urged Kenyan wildlife authorities to “keep their animals away from our people.”
Thursday’s demonstration
blocked the Nairobi-Mombasa highway for hours, as protesters placed rocks and
burning tires on the road, leading police to intervene.Demonstration blocked the Nairobi-Mombasa highway for hours
Residents have repeatedly
called on the Kenya Wildlife Service to find a solution to the conflicts
between people and animals, with farmers upset that elephants destroy their
crops and at times kill people.
“These deaths could have been
avoided with a little more understanding that the local communities are getting
frustrated by the loss of human lives to wildlife,” the governor said.
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