The family from Leleshwa village in the Ol Moran area of Laikipia tried to ward off the beast but it charged towards them at bay as it killed the poor lad.
The beast tore at the boy’s parents who were trying to beat it back leading to their admission at Nyahururu County Referral Hospital with injuries.
“Villagers answered to distress calls and would hit the animal but it kept charging at them with jaws dripping human blood,” said Edward Chege. “The people then retreated giving animal a chance to dig its jaws back in the boy who kept screaming.”
The boy’s aunt Anne Wambui, said the lad was preparing to report to school when the roaming beast entered their house and killed him at about 5am.
“On hearing his child cry, his father who was at the time asleep woke up to defend him. The child’s mother who was in the kitchen preparing breakfast could also came to give help,” said Wambui.
Kenya Wildlife Service warden in charge of Laikipia West Mohammed Madela later visited the family and condole with them.
Madela blamed the attack on a recent fire at the Laikipia Nature Conservancy that drove wild animals out of the conservancy into human settlements.
“The animals are now living in Lariak forest, a kilometre from the home of the victims,” he said.
He added that for the past week, he had received numerous reports from residents of animals suspected to be from the conservancy roaming in the villages after the fire incident.
He said officers had been deployed in the area to relocate the stray animals back to the parks.