A family in Ganze, Kilifi County, has threatened to take the law into its own hands after a 17-year-old pastoralist was reportedly killed by an elephant, intensifying calls for the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to contain the animals and protect residents.
The family says the latest incident brings the number of people killed in elephant attacks in Ganze alone to more than 10, although the figure has not been independently verified.
Speaking in Malindi town, family spokesperson Suleiman Dube accused wildlife authorities of failing to address the recurring threat and urged the government to ensure the elephants are contained and returned to their designated habitat.
Dube warned that residents could resort to retaliatory action if the animals continue to endanger lives and the authorities fail to provide a lasting solution.
His concerns were echoed by the teenager’s uncle, Sagabo Guyole, who accused KWS of negligence, saying residents continued to face the risk of fatal encounters.
According to the family, the teenager was grazing livestock when the elephant attack occurred. The circumstances surrounding the incident, including its precise location and date, could not be independently established.
The reported death comes amid growing tension between residents and wildlife authorities over elephant incursions into farms and settlements in Ganze, where communities have raised concerns about threats to human life, crop destruction and damage to livelihoods.
On October 21, 2026, Ganze MP Kenneth Kazungu Tungule had threatened to mobilise an armed team to kill elephants if KWS failed to stop them from entering farms and residential areas.
Tungule accused the agency of neglecting affected communities and claimed that hundreds of acres of farmland had been destroyed, with several residents injured in encounters with the animals. He also said an electric fence and increased patrols had been promised to help address the problem.
The latest complaints come months after KWS officers drove a herd of 14 elephants from the Kavunzoni and Mitangani areas of Ganze Sub-County back towards Tsavo National Park following concerns over crop destruction and residents’ safety.
In April 18, 2026, the operation followed a directive from President William Ruto, with aerial support deployed to help guide the animals away from human settlements. Residents, however, continued to call for a permanent solution to the recurring incursions.
The Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013, provides a framework for compensation for qualifying deaths, injuries and property damage caused by wildlife. However, compensation does not remove the immediate safety risks faced by communities living near elephant movement routes.
The family is now demanding urgent intervention to prevent further deaths, warning that continued encounters could fuel retaliatory action against the animals.
The reported killing of the teenager adds to the pressure on KWS to address the conflict while preventing further harm to both residents and wildlife.
