Man who was attacked by hyena 5 years ago dies by suicide after KWS delays compensation

A month after Citizen TV aired the story of a family in Ngong seeking compensation for their son Dismas Kogo who was attacked by a hyena, the story has now taken a grim turn.

Dismas, a security guard who lost a finger and sustained severe leg injuries, died by suicide on January 1, 2025.

He had applied for compensation from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) five years ago but was unsuccessful.

On December 15, 2024, Citizen TV visited Dismas at his home in Ngong to bring to light his tale of frustration and pleas to KWS to compensate him following a hyena attack 5 years ago that saw him suffering deep cut wound and lose one finger; but the pleas appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

“Mimi ni mtu nimezaliwa kwa single mum, mi ndio first born, kila kitu inaningoja. Nilikuwa nijoin army na nilikuwa sure ntaingia, sasa sahi siwezifanya kitu…imepea stress wazazi wameuza kila kitu yao ndio nipone. Badala hii pesa tupewe tusaidie watu nyumbani hatupewi na ndio hadi sasa sijaoa, najaribu kufikiria sasa naoa ya nini?" He aid at the time.

At the Ngong mortuary are pieces of evidence that give insight to what may have transpired on January 1, 2025; the clothes he wore last and a rope the DCI says he used to hang himself.

His uncle David Kiprito Leting painfully narrated how Dismas had been stressed trying to rebuild his life, if only KWS had compensated him.

“Sahizi ako kwa jeneza amekufa ameenda, nafuatilia pesa yake ya coompensation hakuna mtu kumpea pesa zake, ameandikiwa barua ambayo imemsababisha akufe, hiyo barua ameandikiwa pesa imetumwa kwa bank na hakuna kitu huko," said Leting.

Dismas's death was reported on January 1, 2025, at the Ngong Police Station by his employer and neighbors. He was found hanging in his house in Ngong within Kajiado County.

A request from Citizen TV for information on Kogo's compensation from KWS has never been replied to date.