The Narok County government is set to compensate victims of wildlife attacks with Kes3 million, in addition to the Kes5 million provided by the National government.
Speaking during the World Rangers Day celebration at Mara North Conservancy at the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu said the bill is in its last stages at the County Assembly and is expected to be concluded before the end of the year to become law.
“The bill is in the County Assembly being debated by the Members of the County Assembly, and I believe they will pass it before the end of the year so that it can be signed into law,” he said.
Further, he underscored that the initiative is anchored in the Maasai Mara Management Plan 2023-2033, which was passed into law last year.
Governor Ntutu reiterated that the county government has trained and equipped rangers in Narok County to empower them to do their jobs effectively and efficiently.
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“The county government has purchased sophisticated weapons and seven land cruiser vehicles that they will be using to ease their work of patrolling the Maasai Mara National Reserve.”
For his part, Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association (MMWCA) Chairman Daniel Ole Sopia disclosed that the biggest challenge the conservancies worldwide face is the lack of proper training and equipment, which has jeopardized their operations.
However, he said over 60 percent of MMWCA rangers had undergone the training and were well equipped to tackle their jobs.
“Training one ranger for three months’ costs approximately Kes250, 000. This is too expensive, and not all conservancies can afford to train their rangers, “he said.
Similarly, he asked the government to extend this as one of the incentives to the private conservancies.
Conservation Secretary in the State Department for Wildlife, Dr. John Chumo, said the demonstrations experienced in the country last month did not affect tourism because we have seen a spike of tourists flocking to the Maasai Mara National Reserve to witness the wildebeest migration phenomenon that occurs from July to October every year.
The leaders eulogised rangers who died in the line of duty, saying they were greatly appreciated for their sincerity and devotion to protecting the wildlife and people of Mara and that they had left a legacy that will forever be celebrated.
The Maasai Mara ecosystem is the biggest source of revenue for the Narok County Government, generating about Kes 3.5 billion in revenue annually.
The compensation is expected to motivate the Maa pastoralist community, which lives with the animals in the same environs and has reported numerous human-wildlife conflicts.
