Villagers in Akingli, Kisumu County, have taken the unusual step of capturing marauding baboons and monkeys, as human-wildlife conflict intensifies around Lake Victoria.
In the bustling lakeside region, a determined vigilante-style response has emerged, with residents now “arresting” the primates and escorting them to local authorities after repeated raids on homes and farms.
In a video seen by TNX Africa, residents described scenes resembling a comedy skit, as groups of fed-up farmers and homeowners cornered the notoriously intelligent and audacious animals using sticks, nets, and even homemade lassos.
“Nikiwachia watoto chakula wanaharibu, wanachukua wanaenda nayo. Vitabu za watoto pia wakipata wanakimbia nazo wanabeba ni kama wanasoma,” complained one resident.
Pale Kisumu Mambo Yamechemka! Kisumu residents are arresting Baboons and Monkeys and taking the to the Police and KWS stations to answer for their crimes. Walimwengu wamechoka na kurushia the distant cousins mawe sasa ni kushika na kuwapeleka ndani wajibu mashtaka wakielekea… pic.twitter.com/8XaKbeZXn9
— Kingpin of Kenya (@ClintonObonyo) January 27, 2026
Another female resident said she is now forced to dress as a man to effectively chase the primates away from her farm.
But beyond damaged farms, several residents reported sustaining injuries, saying the baboons often attacked at dawn and moved in coordinated groups, making them difficult to repel.
According to KWS, the frequent incidents pointed to a deepening crisis.
Kisumu County bordered prime wildlife habitats that were home to more than 2,000 baboons and vervet monkeys, whose numbers had surged due to habitat loss caused by urban expansion and deforestation.
The Kenya Wildlife Service cautioned residents against directly handling the animals, warning that such encounters could be dangerous.
“Huyu mnyama ni hatari sana, anaweza muumiza mtu na hawa wanyama pia wanakuwanga na magonjwa hatari sana. Hatungependa mwananchi aumizwe, na ni sisi tulienda tukaweka mtego,” said Grace Kariuki, Senior Warden, Kisumu.
In 2025 alone, KWS recorded more than 150 human-wildlife conflict incidents in the region, an increase of 40 percent from the previous year, with losses exceeding Sh5 million in destroyed crops and damaged property.
Experts warned that stressed primates were more likely to attack, bite, and potentially transmit diseases such as rabies, while improper capture methods also harmed wildlife populations.
KWS said it would deploy additional officers to Akingli and surrounding areas to manage the escalating conflict and reduce risks to both residents and animals.