President William Ruto has launched a compensation scheme for victims of wildlife attacks to help them rebuild their livelihoods and meet hefty medical bills.
During the launch on Friday in Laikipia, Ruto said the human-wildlife conflict mitigation and compensation scheme is expected to foster harmonious coexistence between local communities and wild animals.
Further, he stated that any citizen attacked by wildlife will be entitled to up to 23,543 dollars in compensation. At the same time, the government invests in electric fences, community-based advocacy, and modern surveillance technology to reduce human-wildlife conflicts.
“We will fast-track compensation for all victims of human-wildlife conflict as part of our commitment to people-centric wildlife conservation. The compensation will cater for injuries, deaths, damage to crops and property.”
To mitigate human-wildlife conflicts, Ruto said the government will erect 350-km-long electric fences in hotspots countrywide and incentivize communities to protect threatened species.
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Additionally, he said the Kenya Wildlife Service has received 17,000 compensation claims from victims of wildlife attacks totaling 7 billion Kenyan shillings, while 10,000 claims worth 31.3 million dollars have been cleared since 2014.
He disclosed that in the next two months, the government will clear the outstanding 7,000 claims from wildlife attack victims.
For his part, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua said digital tools have enhanced the identification and compensation of victims of wildlife attacks, averting costly litigation.
Mutua said the government will invest in livelihood projects, including water pans, boreholes, and climate-smart farming, to encourage communities near wildlife sanctuaries to protect endangered species.
