Families Affected by Human-Wildlife Conflict to Receive Kshs 960 Million From Government – 18/04/2024

The Government has launched payment of Ksh 960 Million as compensation to families who suffered injuries, death or damages to food crops and property caused by wildlife.

The payment launched by President William Ruto will compensate victims and families of wildlife conflict for their losses and enable them to rebuild their lives.

During the function that was done in Rumuruti in Laikipia County, President Ruto also commissioned a digital scheme administration system that will allow digital gathering of data on human wildlife conflict, processing of the cases and compensation as mitigation measure to foster harmonious coexistence between the local communities and wildlife.

The President said, to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts, the government will erect electric fences in the hotspots across the country. He added that, as the government invests in electric fences, effort were also being made through community-based advocacy, and deployment of modern surveillance technology to reduce human-wildlife conflicts and promote co-existence.

“We will fast-track compensation for all victims of human-wildlife conflicts as part of our commitment to people-centric wildlife conservation. The compensation will cater for injuries, deaths, damage to crops and property,” said the President.

The President directed the State Department for Wildlife to prepare payment of the outstanding 7,000 claims made by victims of human-wildlife conflict.

The Cabinets Secretary for Tourism and wildlife, Dr Alfred Mutua, said the use of technology will make the identification and compensation of victims of human wildlife effective and efficient and minimise litigations.

Dr Mutua said the government will invest in supporting livelihood projects such as provision of water pans and boreholes for both human and wildlife, and support climate-smart farming, to encourage communities living around conservancies to protect wildlife.

In the last financial year, the government paid out over 800 million to victims and families of human-wildlife conflict to compensate for death, injury, livestock predation, and damage to food crops.

Currently, the Human-Wildlife Conflicts claims have accumulated to about 16,000 claims worth Ksh. 4.5 billion across the country and are awaiting County Wildlife Conservation and Compensation sittings to be held in the respective Counties.

Currently, Human-wildlife cases processed by the County Wildlife Conservation and Compensation Committees across the country have accumulated to about 16,000 claims worth Ksh. 4.5 billion and are awaiting Ministerial Wildlife Conservation and Compensation Committee sittings to be held in the respective Counties.