MPs want pay for wild animal attacks limited to parks
What you need to know:
- Parliamentary Environment and Natural Resources Committee has beaten a retreat on its earlier plan to amend the law to remove snake bites from list of compensation.
- The Budget committee in its report on the 2017/18 financial estimates said the wildlife conflict compensation was contributing largely to pending bills.
MPs now want compensation for injuries or death arising from wildlife conflict limited to national reserves or game parks where Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) oversees in fresh efforts to contain ballooning pending claims.
Parliamentary Environment and Natural Resources Committee has beaten a retreat on its earlier plan to amend the law to remove snake bites from list of compensation.
“The committee recommends the long term solution to amend the Wildlife Compensation Act to limit compensation claims to areas of jurisdiction of Kenya Wildlife Service.
“However, the Sh4.65 billion pending claims for victims of human-wildlife conflicts which have been forwarded should be paid,” Amina Abdalla, who chairs the committee, said in a report to the Budget and Appropriations Committee.
Ms Abdalla said the Sh4.65 billion has been pending from January 2014 to January 2016.
The Budget committee in its report on the 2017/18 financial estimates said the wildlife conflict compensation was contributing largely to pending bills.
“The committee was also concerned that the designated areas within which one can be considered for compensation.
“The committee promised to take up the matter with the National Treasury since the amount under consideration was huge,” said the Budget and Appropriations Committee, chaired by Mbeere South MP Mutava Musyimi.
