Prof Judi Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Water and Natural Resources. PHOTO | FILE
The Ministry of Environment is unable to pay compensation to relatives of 114 people who have been killed by wildlife due to lack of funding.
Cabinet secretary Judi Wakhungu told the National Assembly committee on Environment and Natural Resources that the Treasury had failed to allocate Sh2.8 billion for wildlife compensation claims for the financial year starting July.
The Department of Wildlife revealed that there were 114 cases due for compensation out of which 81 had been approved for payment at a total cost of Sh405 million.
“We do not have enough money to pay even the 81 cases we have approved. We only have Sh96 million in our books for compensation. This amount can only pay for 20 deaths on a first come applicant basis,” the ministry officials told the committee chaired by nominated MP Amina Abdalla.
The committee scrutinised the ministry’s budget for 2015/15 for which Prof Wakhungu is lobbying for an additional Sh11.43 billion to plug the financing gap.
The ministry is asking for Sh140 million to operationalise the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013 which enhanced compensation claims by families whose relatives are killed by wildlife.
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