Treasury yet to release money to compensate wildlife attack victims
Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Kitili Mbathi speaks to the media at KWS headquarters on April 1, 2016 regarding human/wildlife conflict. Victims of human/wildlife conflict in Busia have said they have not yet been compensated. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The ministry of Environment had set up county compensation committees to address issues pertaining to human-wildlife conflicts.
- The claimants are from Bunyala, Matayos, Butula, Samia and Teso South.
The Kenya Wildlife Service has thrown blame at the National Treasury for not releasing money to compensate victims of wildlife attacks in Busia County.
The ministry of Environment and Natural Resources had set up county compensation committees as per the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013 to address issues pertaining to human-wildlife conflicts.
"We only do the paper work for those who have submitted their claims, which we send to the KWS headquarters for subsequent submission to the ministry. To date, the ministry has not disbursed any funds," he said.
Last year, the ministry said the compensation claims stood at Sh2.3 billion.
Nonetheless, Mr Michael Kipkeu, KWS' community wildlife service senior assistant director, said the government will ensure that all victims are compensated.
"The claimants list for death and injury alone from January 10, 2014 is over 200 people. We have not computed claims for destruction of crops since we have not sat to decide on the figures arising from lodged claims," he said in a past interview.
In the 2016/2017 financial year the human-wildlife mitigation programme was allocated Sh180 million, which is far below the funds needed to operationalise the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013.
The KWS had been allocated a budget of Sh1.6 billion despite a salary shortfall of Sh574 million.
Victims of human-wildlife conflicts in the region have expressed disapproval over the delay.
The claimants - from Bunyala, Matayos, Butula, Samia and Teso South - said recompense for injuries and deaths of their relatives that date back to 2013 have not been paid off.
Chrispinus Masiga, a community representative from Budalang’i, is one of them.
Mr Masiga said he lost his wife Pamela Ogalo while on duty with the Kenya Forest Service on May 22, 2013.
"Despite completing the claim forms and submitting them to the Western regional KWS office in Kakamega, no compensation has been made," Mr Masiga said.
While some died, others nursed snake bites, hippo and crocodile attacks in Lake Victoria.
John Wanyama, a member of the Busia Wildlife Conservation and Compensation Committee, said KWS has not met its end of the bargain.
"The challenge is that no money has been channelled to our committee for compensation purposes," Mr Wanyama said.
