Turkana: Victims of human-wildlife conflict in Turkana County have a reason to smile after the government embarked on a critical phase in the compensation process. County Commissioner Julius Kavita and Kenya Wildlife Service County Warden Elijah Chege convened a high-level county wildlife compensation committee meeting with a view to unlocking the impasse in the compensation process. The meeting deliberated on 103 pending claims cases, which included human death, human injury, attacks on livestock, as well as destruction of crops by wildlife.
According to Kenya News Agency, the 103 cases comprised 35 pending claims from as far back as 2014 and 68 new cases that had never been presented to the committee before, as stated by Kavita. The Commissioner reiterated the government's commitment to compensating victims of human-wildlife conflict but challenged them to provide accurate and truthful information regarding such incidents. Some of the challenges in the compensation process included lack of documentary and pictorial evidence in cases of wildlife attacks.
For any compensation to be approved by the committee, victims or their next of kin are required to provide proof of having reported the incidents to the police and administrative authorities such as chiefs. They must also have a duly filled and signed compensation claim form from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). Kavita appealed to committee members to educate the public on new legal changes to ensure they do not miss out on compensation. Notably, victims of snake bites do not qualify for compensation under the current regulations.
County Warden Elijah Chege emphasized KWS's role in upholding its shared responsibility in resolving the pressing issue of wildlife-related losses. He pointed out that each case represents a story of hardship and resilience faced by communities in the wake of human-wildlife conflict. Chege reiterated KWS's commitment to ensuring every claim is treated with fairness, transparency, and urgency, highlighting the need to balance wildlife conservation with the realities faced by people on the ground.
Among the cases considered were 15 human deaths, 22 human injuries, 37 livestock attack cases, and 29 cases of crop destruction by wildlife.