Govt agencies fall out over Aberdare electric fence

This came into the open last November when KFS officers allegedly failed to turn up for a consultative meeting that was expected to resolve the matter.

Another consultative meeting held later in December tasked the KFS deputy director in charge of plantations Anthony Maina and the KWS Elephant Programme co-ordinator Moses Litoro to visit the disputed area and agree on the size of the corridor.

“Instead, each went there individually and made their own proposals. We were surprised when they presented two reports with different proposals about the size of the corridor,” KFS head of Central Highland Conservancy Stephen Karega said.

Mr Karega said the KFS had proposed a corridor of 400 metres wide while Rhino Ark and the KWS propose a minimum of 1.5 kilometres.

Mr Litoro’s report presented before the consultative meeting argued that a narrow corridor like the one KFS was proposing could lead to degradation of land and destruction of the fence and therefore proposed one that is at least 1.5km wide.

With both experts going different ways the meeting ended.

The two officers were asked to organize another site visit from which they should come with a recommendation that is acceptable to both parties.