By Caroline Katana
When an elephant tramples crops in Kaseveni village, Shimba Hills Kwale County, families count their losses in poverty, hunger, and sometimes even lives.
 The conflict became personal for Elizabeth Mwanjole in 2009 when her teenage son, Elias, was killed by an elephant, ending his dream of becoming a soldier.
“I lost my child,” she recalls painfully. “No money can bring him back. This conflict must be addressed fully.”
Yet even in the face of such tragedies, one man has chosen to walk thousands of kilometers across Africa with a powerful message: “ivory belongs to elephants, not humans”.
Elizabeth Mwanjole, Kaseveni residentÂ
The Man Behind the Walk
Justus Nyamu, Director of the Elephant Neighbors Center and one of Africa’s most respected elephant scholars, has spent 29 years fighting for conservation.
 This year, he is on the 16th leg of his 120-day walk, a journey flagged off in Mombasa by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Coast officials.
The walk will cut through Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and end in Zimbabwe, following historic elephant migration corridors that are now threatened by fencing, farms, and power lines.
 “Seventy percent of Kenya’s wildlife lives outside protected areas. Communities are the custodians. My mission is to thank those protecting wildlife and challenge others to see conservation as a shared responsibility.” Nyamu explains.
Elephant Neighbors Center director, Justus NyamuÂ
When Elephants and People Collide
In Shimba Hills, residents say elephants routinely invade farms despite the electric fence meant to keep them out. Some break power lines, while others destroy entire harvests.
Kimanzi Kulwa, a farmer in Kaseveni, says his family has been pushed into poverty.
“Elephants have ruined our crops and taken lives. They have killed more than three people here. Compensation cannot replace human life,” he said.
Nyamu acknowledges their anger, urging authorities to rebuild community forums that once allowed open dialogue with KWS.
 “We must not only meet when there is a crisis. Communities need constant engagement to understand why conservation matters—and how they can benefit from it.” Nyamu added.
Locals in Kaseveni during World Life Conservation forumÂ
Fighting Poaching and Illegal Trade
Kenya has made progress in reducing poaching, but traffickers still attempt to use its border points. Just last week, a Burundian man was arrested in Mombasa with ivory traced to Tsavo, while a Ugandan woman was caught in Nairobi.
“They still think Kenya is an easy route. But the laws are now very strict. Under the Lusaka Agreement, if you are arrested in Kenya, you face Kenyan law; if arrested in Uganda, you face Ugandan law, and the penalties are severe—life imprisonment or a fine of two million shillings,” he said.
He recalls with pride the historic moment in 2014 when former President Uhuru Kenyatta burned 1.9 tons of elephant and Rhino ivory.
“That action declared to the world, ivory has no value unless it is on elephants.”
AÂ Species on the Brink
In the 1970s, Kenya had nearly 200,000 elephants. Today, fewer than 40,000 remain. Across Africa, the population has fallen from 1.3 million to a fraction of that. Shimba Hills now holds just 25 elephants.
 “If elephants vanish, tourism collapses and communities lose livelihoods,” warns Nyamu. “Meanwhile, species that bring disease—mosquitoes, for example—are multiplying daily. When we lose world life, we destroy forests, we also destroy the clean air and ecosystems that sustain us.”
Turning Conservation into Livelihoods
Nyamu is not only raising alarms but also offering solutions. He urges communities to turn conservation into an income source—through projects like beekeeping near parks.
 “When people benefit directly, they will protect wildlife. Conservation must work for communities if it is to succeed,” he adds.
Walking for Africa’s Future
As he walks across borders toward Zimbabwe, Nyamu is calling on governments, communities, and citizens to unite.calls
“The elephant is more than an animal. It is part of Africa’s heritage, identity, and survival. Protecting elephants is protecting ourselves.”
