The women of Ongata Rongai are making a bold statement in defense of Makena, the lioness known for preying on dogs in the area.
Despite the fear and concern surrounding Makena’s presence, these women see her as a positive force in their community. By keeping their husbands at home earlier in the evening, they believe Makena is contributing to family cohesion and safety.
This unconventional perspective challenges the typical narrative of fear associated with predators like Makena and highlights the complex relationship between humans and wildlife in urban environments.
Some of them in Kitengela and Kajiado towns are praying for Makena to visit them to restore homes and make their husbands arrive home at a “good” time to be with family.
Mercy Joshua said on her Facebook account that Makena is a blessing in disguise as families around Ongata Rongai remain stable.
Purity Gikunda said:
“While we are happy with this development, there is also another problem. Some men may not go home after 6 pm because they will risk going home for fear of Makena.”
Gikunda said the men would better spend the night where they were for their safety.
Regina Muranja, a Facebook user said:
“Long live Makena. You are our heroine.”
Komoi Perset, another Facebook user said she is excited that Makena is bringing men home early.
A resident of Kajiado town, Sarah Karanja, wants Makena to visit her home area to sort things out.
The women have told KWS to stop tracking down the lioness for their own good.
Some women have said since the reports of Makena emerged, they are living with their husbands in peace.
“They now bring home the meat they would have eaten in bars, out there. They come home earlier than ever. This is good for us,” said Sabina Chege.
Reacting to the women’s contribution to social media, Kinayia Ole Moinkett and Leonard Ole Koinari said they would look for Makena and kill it with their bare hands.Both said a cat in the name of Makena cannot force them to rush home in the evenings like babies.
“We have lived with them big cats) and they know us well. If our women use them to scare us, we will kill all of them, and retain our status quo,” said Kinari.
Meanwhile, the KWS says it immediately dispatched its Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) team to Ongata Rongai following a CCTV footage circulating on social media that showed a lioness scaling a perimeter wall in a private residence last Wednesday.
on a viral video, a lioness was seen making off with a pedigree dog in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
KWS spokesman Paul Jinaro, however, said, the lioness was not in the vicinity of the incident, and it is suspected she may have had cubs hidden in a different location.
Jinaro said the KWS is reassuring the area residents that the HWC team is still patrolling the locality, with backup from the more seasoned Problem Animal Management Unit (PAMU).
“The Service is also alerting the public that, during heavy rains such as those witnessed in Nairobi over the past few months, herbivores migrate through the unfenced southern part of Nairobi National Park, towards human settlements like Rongai, Kitengela, Athi-Kapiti, and the larger Kajiado and its environs, due to waterlogged grounds and overly-long grass which provide hideouts for predators,” Jinaro said.
Consequently, the spokesman said, carnivores also migrate, in pursuit of the herbivores, the primary food source for lions, leopards and hyenas.
This movement of carnivores, he said, leads to unfortunate incidents such as the regrettable predation on domestic dogs as seen on the CCTV footage.
He said that over eighty per cent of the perimeter of Nairobi National Park is fenced.
“Much of the city of Nairobi is, therefore, safe from wildlife raids. The ongoing rains have caused significant wildlife displacement, leading to the risk of unexpected encounters in community wildlife-prone areas,” Jinaro said.
He advised residents of areas prone to these wildlife dispersals to exercise caution, especially at night.
