Residents of a village in Kisumu County are raising alarm over an escalating baboon invasion that has disrupted farming activities, destroyed crops and threatened the safety of local families.

The marauding animals have reportedly been invading farms, feeding on crops and causing significant losses to farmers who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.

Beyond the destruction of crops, the situation has increasingly become a security concern, with residents reporting aggressive behaviour by the baboons and attacks targeting women and children.

The invasion has reportedly lasted close to three weeks, with baboons increasingly venturing into homes and stealing household food and cooking utensils.

One resident, Jane Mbone, described how the animals have disrupted normal household activities, including taking cooking pots while food was being prepared. Another resident, Jacob Ouko, said the baboons had also stolen omena from his home.

Residents say previous efforts to control the animals, including traps reportedly set by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in neighbouring Akingli village, have failed to resolve the situation.

With farmers unable to access their farms safely, residents are now appealing to KWS to urgently intervene, contain the invasion and protect both lives and livelihoods.

The situation highlights the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict in communities where wildlife increasingly comes into contact with human settlements.