Elephant attacks, kills woman near her home in Magadi

An elephant attacked and killed a 35-year-old woman near her residence in Magadi area, Kajiado County.

Police and Kenya Wildlife Service officials said Eunice Kuria Mwaura was attacked as she walked from her friend’s house on December 18 at night.

She was killed about 500 meters from her house by an elephant that had strayed to the area. Witnesses said she screamed for help but those who responded found her lying unresponsive. The wild animal had attacked her fatally.

Police and KWS personnel visited the scene and helped with its processing.

The body was moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy and other procedures.

Police advised the family to file a compensation claim. This is the latest such incident to happen in increasing cases of human-wildlife conflict. There are efforts to address the issue.

In May 2025, Kenya introduced the third phase of its Human–Wildlife Conflict Compensation Programme, an initiative aimed at addressing these incidents and supporting affected families.

During its launch at Meru National Park, President William Ruto unveiled the innovative Wildlife Conservation Card, a new tool designed to help fund conservation efforts.

“Compensation is justice, but prevention is progress,” Ruto said, emphasizing the need for long-term solutions that benefit both people and wildlife.

“Through the Conservation Card, fencing, and community‑led tourism, we are turning conflict into opportunity,” he added.

Developed in partnership with KCB Bank, the Wildlife Conservation Card is available in three tiers—Platinum (Elephant), Gold (Lion), and Silver (Cheetah).

A portion of every transaction made with the card (Sh10, Sh5, and Sh3, respectively) goes directly to the Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund.

The initiative aims to enable Kenyans and international supporters to contribute to wildlife conservation while fostering economic benefits for local communities.

With this new approach, Kenya hopes to build a future where humans and wildlife can coexist more safely and sustainably.