Suba North Member of Parliament Millie Odhiambo has raised concerns about the rising number of hippo attacks and killings at various beaches in Homa Bay County.
She has called for urgent intervention from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), noting that many of her constituents have died due to these attacks. Despite numerous complaints from residents and local leaders, no action has been taken to manage the dangerous hippos threatening fishermen and other beach dwellers in Suba North.
On Sunday evening, a grade eight pupil was killed by a hippo at Litare Beach on Rusinga Island while washing clothes near the lake shore.
The MP warned that she might mobilize the community to take matters into their own hands if the government fails to address the issue. In Sikri village, within Suba North Constituency, students are unable to attend school because of the hippo threat. As water levels rise in the area, hippos increasingly invade villages.