Tana river: At least 225 wildlife attack victims in Tana River County have received Sh172 million from Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) as monetary compensation. The compensation scheme administered by KWS covers death, injury, and property damage resulting from human-wildlife conflict.
According to Kenya News Agency, the money processed between 2024 and 2026 was handed over to the beneficiaries in Hola town by Dr. John Chumo, the Conservation Secretary at the State Department for Wildlife in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. Dr. Chumo revealed that the Sh172 million compensation to the 225 beneficiaries were claims dating back 10 years, with more cases still pending. The monetary compensation for the loss of human life, injury, crop, and property damage by wild animals is a strategy to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.
KWS compensates victims of human-wildlife conflict with Sh950 million released early this year for ongoing claims across the country. The compensation claims offer up to Sh5 million for death and Sh3 million for injury, with new digital systems set to be launched to speed up payments. Victims are required to report incidents to KWS within 24 hours to initiate the process. Dr. Chumo stated that the new digital system has already been piloted in six hotspot counties and would soon be rolled out nationally to scale up efforts to compensate victims fairly and timely. The system aims to cut down bureaucratic bottlenecks and enable settlement of claims within three months.
The compensation is designed to alleviate the financial burden on families, especially in rural areas often impacted by wild animals. Dr. Chumo emphasized the importance of opening up wildlife migratory corridors to minimize human-wildlife interactions and highlighted climate change as a significant threat driving increasing conflicts. The compensation program underscores the government’s continued commitment to supporting affected communities while fostering coexistence between people and wildlife.
The Conservation Secretary noted that the National Government has set aside more than Sh1 billion to compensate victims of human-wildlife conflicts. Compensation for human losses is essential to foster positive community attitudes toward wildlife conservation. The initiative is a crucial step towards fostering harmonious coexistence and ensuring sustainable conservation practices. Dr. Chumo also urged beneficiaries to invest the compensation funds wisely to improve their economic fortunes.
Dr. Chumo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reducing human-wildlife conflict through various interventions, including the installation of electric fences in hotspot areas and strengthening KWS rapid response units. He further encouraged devolved governments to align land use planning with conservation priorities and urged communities to embrace conservation initiatives.
Tana River Senator, Danson Mungatana, who accompanied Dr. Chumo, expressed concerns over delays in processing payments and emphasized the need for more effective and faster compensation processes. He noted that many people impacted by human-wildlife conflict often suffer due to persistent delays in processing compensations and called for expedited steps to address the issue.
Source: Kenya News Agency
