Nairobi: The government has paid Sh2.8 billion as compensation to victims of human-wildlife conflict in the last two years, ending years of suffering for the victims, Conservation Secretary of the State Department for Wildlife John Chumo has said. Chumo noted that this initiative has significantly reduced the pending bills from Sh4.1 billion, which was inherited two years ago, to about Sh2.3 billion currently.
According to Kenya News Agency, Chumo, speaking during a stakeholder meeting at Mangu High School, stated that nearly Sh1 billion has been disbursed annually to the victims, with this year seeing close to Sh950 billion being allocated. He expressed optimism that the compensation amount might be increased in the coming years to fully settle all pending bills.
Chumo attributed the aggressive compensation drive to a well-organized database of victims and the government's commitment to addressing their plight. He emphasized the government's efforts, saying, "Since this government took over, there have been rigorous compensation efforts to human-wildlife conflict victims. Two years ago, the pending bills were Sh4.1 billion. Several victims were suffering due to compensation delays. After establishing a streamlined database of victims, we have paid Sh2.8 billion in the last two years. Going forward, we hope the amount will be boosted to target more beneficiaries."
Chumo acknowledged that while compensation cannot fully address the issues, the State Department has also initiated mitigation measures to curb human-wildlife conflict. These measures include the fencing of game parks and reserves, and the construction of water pans and boreholes at animal habitats to prevent wildlife from encroaching into human settlements in search of water.
The government has also introduced a new, technology-driven model to replace the outdated manual systems of compensating victims of human-wildlife conflict. This new system, aimed at enhancing transparency, processes small claims using M-Pesa, making the procedure fast and efficient.
Data from the State Department reveals that over 57,000 human-wildlife conflict incidents were reported nationally from 2009 to 2024. The data highlights snake bites, attacks by marauding hyenas, crocodiles, and hippos, as well as crop damage by elephants, as among the most common cases.