Hundreds of families in Ganze Sub-County are staring at hunger and despair following a continued invasion by elephants that has paralysed farming, education, and day-to-day life in several villages.

The human-wildlife conflict has taken a worrying turn in Mitangani, Ndigiria, Mrima wa Ndege, Goshi, and Kavunzoni locations, where marauding elephants believed to be over 1,000 in number have trampled crops, forced schools to close, and raised safety concerns among locals.

At Midoina Primary and Secondary Schools, pupils have not reported for lessons in days. The institutions have shut their gates as herds of elephants continue roaming the villages unchecked, posing a threat to both learners and teachers.

“Our children cannot walk to school anymore. We are afraid. Elephants have taken over our lives,” said Dama Karisa, a parent from Mrima wa Ndege.

The worst hit are small-scale farmers whose livelihoods depend on seasonal harvests. With the area currently receiving good rains, many had planted maize, cassava, and legumes only to see their hard work destroyed overnight by the invading jumbos.

Former Bamba MCA Daniel Mangi has now raised the alarm, calling on the government to urgently intervene by relocating the elephants back to Tsavo National Park.

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“This situation has become unbearable. Thousands of acres have been destroyed. The people are suffering and learning has come to a standstill,” Mangi said during a press briefing in Kilifi.

He accused a private investor, who is eyeing the area for a wildlife conservancy, of allegedly working with state agencies to allow elephants to roam freely, pushing locals to abandon their homes and farms.

“The people of Ndharako and Goshi have rejected the conservancy plan, and now they are being punished. The elephants are being used as weapons of displacement. This is not conservation; this is economic sabotage,” Mangi claimed.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has been accused of a slow and ineffective response. Residents say efforts to drive the elephants back to Tsavo have been inconsistent and lacking in urgency.

“It’s either KWS doubles their efforts or we will be forced to protect our homes by any means necessary,” Mangi warned.

Farmers across the affected areas are now appealing for government assistance, including the distribution of relief food as they face looming famine.

“We have no food. The farms are bare. The elephants have cleared everything. We are not enemies of wildlife, but we need to survive too,” said Jumaa Kitsao, a farmer in Mitangani.

Kilifi County has been battling recurring drought and food insecurity for years. While the current rains were expected to boost recovery, the elephant invasion threatens to plunge Ganze into a deeper humanitarian crisis.

Efforts to get a response from KWS officials in Kilifi by the time of going to press were unsuccessful. However, sources indicate that few officers have been deployed to drive the jumbos away from people’s homes.

Meanwhile, leaders and residents continue to call for the protection of their lives, farms, and futures.

“Conservation should not come at the cost of our lives and our children’s education. The government must choose between protecting people or elephants,” said Mangi