Cute, playful and adorable is probably how many people would describe monkeys. Well, that’s not how Malava sub-county residents would describe monkeys.
Monkeys have been known to only fear men, but they confront women whenever they see them.
More than 100 households have been affected and residents no longer plant maize for fear of losses. Residents have threatened to kill the primates they claim were dumped in a nearby bush by the KWS officers five years ago.
Cheeky monkeys are harassing women in Mahira and they say they are forced to wear trousers to drive the primates from their
Mahira residents have been complaining about
He said he incurred losses of more than Sh200,000 after the monkeys destroyed his 10 acres of banana plantation and five acres of maize and beans last season.
Everlyne Simwa, 43, said the monkeys have been harassing women, and they have to call men to help drive them away. Simwa said the situation is made worse when the monkeys are joined by those from the nearby Malava forest, especially during the planting season.
She urged the KWS to compensate residents, or they will go to court to seek redress.
“Our farming activities have been affected adversely in the last two seasons. I used to harvest 30 bags of maize from my three acres but this reduced to three bags last year. I’m now repaying a Sacco loan I took to buy farm inputs despite having made huge losses,” Simwa said.
Poultry farmer Caleb Maina said the monkeys invaded his home and killed 300 chickens in January.
“I forgot to lock the door to my birds’ house and the monkeys destroyed 50 trays of eggs that I had collected that week totaling Sh 15, 000 besides killing the birds,” he said.
But Kakamega forest deputy warden in charge Dorosi Kiloti refuted claims that KWS dumped the primates in the area also dismissed claims by farmers that the residents have been making complaints to them but no action has been taken.