Thika residents warned of 20 hyenas on the loose

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has warned Thika residents about a group of hyenas running loose in Makongeni area.

Barely a day after the cackle of hyenas was spotted, two people have been attacked and killed by the animals.

One of the residents on Monday December 27 reported that he had found a fresh human skull prompting officers from KWS and National Police Service to visit the area.

Upon arrival at the scene, police found scattered bones and blood-soaked clothes, confirmed that it had been a similar attack.

“We urge residents in the said areas to continue exercising caution and beware of the dangerous carnivores, whose attacks in their numbers are dreadful and deadly. Measures to hunt down and eradicate this threat is underway,” a statement from authorities read.

The wild animals, which are estimated to be in a group of 20, had earlier been spotted in Witeithie in Juja.

In the wee hours of Monday, another Kenyan fell prey to the hyenas as he was going home.

“This caution follows a sad incident reported to police at 5 am today (Monday) of a 29-year-old man who was mauled to death by the cackle of about 20 hyenas within Kamuthi area on his way home from Komu quarry. The victim's counterpart narrowly escaped by the skin of his teeth,” the DCI reported.

In September, another group of stray hyenas attacked seven, killing two children in Kilifi County.

According to the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013, families of people killed by wild animals are entitled to compensation.

"The Cabinet Secretary shall consider the recommendations made under subsection (2) and where appropriate, pay compensation to the claimant as follows— in the case of death, five million shillings; in the case of injury occasioning permanent disability, three million shillings; in the case of any other injury, a maximum of two million shillings, depending on the extent of injury," section 25 of the act says.