Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary (CS) Peninah Malonza has announced that the government has set aside Kes 1.1 billion to compensate victims of human-wildlife conflict.
Speaking at the University of Embu grounds during this year’s national UN-World Tourism Day celebrations on Wednesday, the CS said the money will go towards clearing the backlog of 2,600 claims.
The CS announced that her ministry was working on a strategy to ensure timely compensation.
Further, she noted that the Ministry had also disbursed Kes 900 million to claimants who had waited for the last 14 years to be compensated.
Additionally, CS Malonza said the government was committed to ensuring all the claims were settled by the end of the year.
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She revealed intentions to create an insurance program that will guarantee victims prompt compensation after they are attacked by wildlife or their property is damaged.
The CS emphasized that the government has stepped up measures to fence wildlife corridors to end conflicts between wildlife and people.
At the same time, she added that the tourism industry was still recuperating from the decline brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CS said tremendous progress had been made, and the sector was at 98 percent recovery.
