A man was shot dead in Makindu, Makueni county, as residents tried to kill an elephant that had been trapped in a shallow well.
The man was shot in a confrontation between the residents and Kenya Wildlife Service rangers who had rescued the elephant.
The residents tried to kill the jumbo after it was rescued by the rangers.
The jumbo had been trapped in the ditch for hours.
After being pulled out by the KWS officers, the residents wanted to kill it and share the meat as it was still tired.
The public later barricaded the Mombasa-Nairobi highway to protest the killing.
Speaking on the phone, acting Makueni county commissioner Henry Metto urged the residents to be calm.
“I call upon wananchi to be patient as the county and national governments look for a lasting solution to the human-wildlife conflict,” Metto said.
The body of the deceased was taken to the Makindu Subcounty Hospital mortuary.
Metto said police dispersed the residents that had gathered on the highway and eased the traffic.
KWS senior warden Peter Mpote urged the residents to report cases of human-wildlife conflict to the nearest KWS offices.
He said they have formed a management crisis post at Kivoko and asked residents to make use it.
“We have established a team of officers to respond to desperate situations at Kivoko. Wananchi should report all cases immediately to the centre so that we avert losses of lives caused by wildlife,” Mpote said.