Kenyans can’t agree whether KWS rangers were right to kill ‘Mohawk’
In what is shaping up to be a contest of sorts between supporters of human and those of animal rights, Twitter has lit up with varied arguments on whether it was right for Kenya Wildlife Service rangers to neutralize a lion on Wednesday.
It all started on Wednesday morning when a male lion was sighted roaming in Isinya, Kajiado county. KWS was alerted and dispatched a search party mainly comprising of armed rangers.
But things took a turn for the worse when locals disturbed the lion, forcing it to pounce on a boda boda rider. At this moment, the rangers shot the lion dead in full glare of cameras.
Moments later, it emerged that the lion actually had a name –Mohawk. Many people in Kenya and world over were heartbroken.
By Thursday morning, a hashtag, #JusticeForMohawk was the second most trending topic on Twitter, where opinion, was, however, divided.
#JUSTICEFORMOHAWK
A Twitter user, Ni Silas (@SilasMutiti) argued: “We demand @KwsKenya to publish an apology in the dailies and adverts in the apologizing for the death of king of jungle #JusticeForMohawk.”
Lucas Kalerwa (@BlancosMadrids4) also weighed in, “KWS should know that killing wild animals makes no difference with poachers #JusticeForMohawk,” while another (@elnino_drama) added: “Why not sedate the lion and take it back to the park? Instead of live bullets he should have used darts! #JusticeForMohawk.”
Peter Santoni (@peter_santoni) added: “As we call for #JusticeForMohawk there should be his statue at @kwskenya headquarters because he died a hero fighting for freedom.”
But other Kenyans were unimpressed by the uproar and took on those mourning the lion.
A Twitter user (@denuhk) wrote: “Why didn’t I see a topic after a lion attacked a 63yr old man. Some stupid Kenyans are hypocrites @RobertAlai #JusticeForMohawk,” while (@gram_big) said, “Mbona sjaskia any1 talkin abt the mauled boda boda guy??!!!an animal is more important than a human being??? (expletive) #JusticeForMohawk.”
Irungu Thiong’o also weighed in (@IrunguNdome): “#JusticeForMohawk when did animal life become more important than human life? Any animal that poses a threat to human life should be killed.”
Heisenberg (@adungoanthony) said: “We have to get rid of this mentality that human life is more important than animal or plant life. #JusticeForMohawk.”
Moses Kariuki @ared_4_ever82 also weighed in: “Are u for real? #justiceforMohawk That thing harmed a human being…… Truly human rights have plummeted lower than the animal ones.”
