Tourism Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has disclosed that the Government will disburse Kes.1 billion in compensation to families and relatives affected by human-wildlife conflicts before the end of this financial year.
Dr. Mutua stated that the government is relying on a new payout system to authenticate claims and distribute payments to survivors and victims’ families of human-wildlife conflicts.
The Tourism Minister emphasized that with the introduction of the new payment system, survivors and victims’ families, who have previously complained about the slow compensation process, will now receive their payouts in record time.
“It was taking long to process and authenticate the claims. But, the new scheme will make it faster from the time a claim is lodged to the time the payment is cleared,” Dr Mutua said, acknowledging that the compensation process has been slow since 2020.
The State is obligated to compensate for permanent injuries leading to disability, deaths, or property damage. Compensation for individuals killed by wild animals amounts to Kes.5 million, while cases of injury resulting in permanent disability are compensated at Kes.3 million.
Cases of human-wildlife conflicts are prevalent in Samburu County, where attacks by hippos, elephants, and buffaloes are increasing. Similar conflicts have been reported in Narok County, Laikipia, Baringo, Taita-Taveta, and Kajiado, among other regions.
