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Kenya: Residents Protest as Hundreds of Camels Move to Their Ranch

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4 years ago

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Tension is brewing in Kishushe, Taita Taveta County, after herders brought hundreds of camels to a local ranch under a deal with managers.

Members of the Kishushe Ranching Cooperative Society are protesting the decision to allow in more than 600 camels without consulting them.

Village elder Littleton Maghanga said they were concerned about hosting the camels because of previous violent incidents involving locals and herders.

Two years ago, farmers and herders clashed, leading to the death of a farmer in Sagalla.

Several people were left injured in Mwatate in the incident.

No herder has been arrested or prosecuted over the incidents.

The county security team had ordered camel herders to leave community land so as to ease tension in the region.

Mr Maghanga said the herders were a security threat to residents, who mainly depend on their farms for their livelihoods.

“We were not consulted, so we don’t want to see these animals here. The owners should take back their camels,” he said.

On Wednesday, residents, led by village elders, held a day-long meeting in the Kambunde area of Kishushe to discuss the way forward.

They have invited security agencies to intervene and prevent a looming conflict.

Donald Mwarenge, the chairperson of the ranch’s supervisory board, asked the authorities to investigate.

Mr Mwarenge accused the ranch’s management board, led by chairperson Alui Mbela, of high-handedness.

Iron ore mining company

He said the supervisory board was left out of the agreement yet it is supposed to play a key role in such negotiations.

“A few people are running this ranch as if it is their personal property. We are against this decision because we were not involved,” he said.

With the ongoing drought, he said, a conflict could erupt between residents and herders over water and pasture.

For his part, Mr Mbela said the agreement between the board and herders was reached in the presence of the county cooperative officer.

He said the management agreed to a deal with the herders so that the ranch can earn money and pay its workers.

The ranch, he said, was in a financial crisis after an iron ore mining company failed to pay rates as agreed.

He revealed that Samruddha Resources Kenya Ltd owes the ranch over Sh45 million in monthly rates.