Two people were injured on Tuesday night after baboons searching for water invaded a village in Ijara constituency, Garissa county.

About 30 baboons stormed Walmare village at about 6pm and engaged residents for several hours in a scuffle over the commodity that has become scarce due to drought.

"The thirsty baboons invaded the village in droves. They targeted a hut where one family was keeping their little water which they brought from water vendors," said a resident, Abdi Mohamed.



"A serious fight broke out between the family who attempted to protect the precious commodity as they desperately tried to snatch the 10-litre jerrican that was full of water," he added.

Mohamed said neighbours intervened when they heard distress calls and chased away the monkeys.

The injured were taken to Masalani Referral Hospital where they are receiving treatment.

In the past four months, tens of people have died or been injured in human-wildlife conflict as water scarcity bites Ijara and Hullugho subcounties.

Ijara Supkem chair Abdikhadir Hassan said water bowsers dispatched from the government have instead made their services commercial.

"People are forced to buy water from the water bowsers," he told journalists.

He said residents are being charged exorbitantly, with some bowsers charging as much as Sh100 for a 20 litres of water.

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