Moses Kuria Pledges Compensation To Juja Family After Hyena Mauled 4-Year-Old Son To Death

• The four-year-old boy was mauled to death at Flat Estate of Witeithie while heading to a shopping centre
• Moses Kuria said he will ensure that the grieving family receives compensation within six months
• The incident sparked outrage among residents who protested along the Thika Superhighway calling on the government to address the issue

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

Juja, Kiambu - A four-year-old boy was killed by a hyena at Flat Estate in the Nyacaba area of Witeithie, Juja.

The child, who was an only child, had been sent to a nearby shopping centre when the aggressive hyena attacked and killed him instantly.

Moses Kuria, a senior advisor to the Executive, addressed the situation, noting that such human-animal conflicts have historically been rare.

"This incident represents a new and disturbing trend, as there has been no previous record of human-animal conflict in the area. Historically, hyenas and humans in this area coexisted peacefully," stated Kuria.

When will the Juja family be compensated?

After visiting the grieving family, the former Public Service Cabinet secretary pledged to ensure they receive compensation within six months.

"I assured the grieving family that I will personally ensure they receive compensation within six months," he promised.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, September 4, and sparked outrage among residents, who protested on the Thika Superhighway to urge the government to tame the animals.

This reaction followed ongoing attacks by wildlife despite repeated government promises to address the issue.

Juja woman returning from market killed by hyena

In other news, a 52-year-old woman from Juja was killed by a hyena while returning from the market.

The attack happened when the woman was returning to buy food supplies to prepare food for casual workers who depended on her kiosk for lunchtime meals.

Following this incident, Kenya Wildlife Service initiated the second phase of Operation Ondoa Fisi Juja to attend to the case and offer support.

Meanwhile, KWS had shared safety tips, including not running when one encounters a hyena making nice or pretending to be dead.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke