Thousands of Kenyans who have lost relatives, livestock, or property to wildlife attacks are still waiting for government compensation, as the backlog of unpaid claims has ballooned to KSh 3.5 billion.
- •Lawmakers said that years of underfunding, bureaucracy, and weak oversight have left victims stranded in a system designed to protect them.
- •The National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee warned that the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife has failed to prioritize payments despite a legal obligation to do so.
- •The ministry’s records show that between 2017 and 2021, the Kenya Wildlife Service disbursed KSh 3.08 billion to affected households, a figure far below the total amount owed.
“We have people who have been waiting since 2014, and it is now 2025. We began with 2014–2016 claims and are currently processing those from 2020/2021. Compensation for later years has not begun,” Principal Secretary for Wildlife Silvia Museiya Kihoro told the committee.
Annual allocations for the program exceeded KSh 900 million in several financial years, but actual disbursements were often a fraction of that; KSh 65 million in 2018 and KSh 175 million in 2017.
More than 20,000 cases remain unresolved, covering deaths, injuries, and property destruction caused by wildlife. Many beneficiaries are reported to have died while awaiting payment.
The ministry has attributed the delays to funding shortfalls, slow verification procedures, and a freeze on allowances for County Wildlife Compensation Committees between 2021 and 2023, which disrupted the processing of claims.
Lawmakers raised concerns over the effectiveness of these committees, which are responsible for verifying and forwarding claims to the ministry. Inconsistent reporting between counties and the national office has also complicated tracking and accountability. The committee members also questioned the accuracy of incident data, citing gaps between official records and reports from affected regions.
“In theory, these committees exist, but are they actually meeting? Your report shows only one crocodile-related death in Siaya for the year, yet I know of at least ten cases in my constituency,” Rarieda MP, Otiende Amollo queried.
The Wildlife Conservation and Management Act of 2013 entitles victims of wildlife attacks to compensation funded by the exchequer but these delays in appropriations and complex administrative requirements have made timely payments rare.
The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife has proposed legislative reforms aimed at aligning compensation rates with fiscal realities and introducing a digital payment system to improve efficiency. However, the planned KSh 800 million system has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers concerned about costs and implementation capacity.
The committee also cited the ministry’s failure to comply with the Public Finance Management Act, which classifies pending bills as a first charge on subsequent budgets. Despite knowing the volume of claims in advance, the ministry has consistently allocated less than what is required to clear existing liabilities.
Human–wildlife conflict is exacting a growing human and economic toll across Kenya, with over 305 deaths recorded in the past decade and elephants responsible for 46.2% of reported incidents, according to research by the British Institute in Eastern Africa.
The study identifies Kajiado, Narok, Kilifi, and Samburu, as the hardest hit counties where expanding farmland and drought are driving wildlife into human settlements. Losses from crop destruction, livestock predation, and infrastructure damage have eroded livelihoods and intensified hostility toward conservation programs that once had strong community backing.
The tourism sector is expected to contribute KSh 1.2 trillion to GDP in 2025, more than 7% of national output, and sustain 1.7 million jobs, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. However, the backlog in wildlife compensation claims threatens community goodwill in conservation zones, a key ingredient in Kenya’s safari appeal.
