Kenya’s government has disbursed Sh4.8 billion in compensation to victims of human-wildlife conflict since 2018, with incidents continuing to rise, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. The compensation effort has intensified in recent years, with Sh2.8 billion paid out since the current administration took office.
Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Rebecca Miano, revealed that Kenya still faces over Sh4.16 billion in outstanding claims as of February 2023. Despite the government’s efforts, challenges such as funding gaps, manual claim verification, and legacy claims dating back to 2014 have slowed progress.
In the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years, the ministry disbursed Sh908 million and Sh950 million respectively. However, approximately 20,000 claims are still pending at county level, awaiting processing.
To address these inefficiencies, the government launched a Digital Compensation Scheme in 2024. Piloted in six counties, the two-year initiative aims to digitise data collection and processing, allowing for faster and more transparent compensation. Small-scale claims, capped at Sh100,000, are now being paid via mobile money platform M-Pesa.
So far, Sh10.1 million has been disbursed through the digital scheme, though 804 approved claims valued at Sh29.5 million remain unpaid. The success of this pilot will determine the potential for nationwide rollout, which will also depend on future budget allocations.
The compensation efforts come as Kenya grapples with a surge in human-wildlife conflict. In 2023, the country recorded 8,272 incidents — the highest in 15 years. Though numbers slightly decreased to 7,883 in 2024, the situation remains dire.
Crop destruction is the most common conflict, with 32,480 cases since 2009, followed by 15,940 incidents of livestock predation. Between 2022 and 2024, elephants were the primary culprits in 17,917 incidents, including 121 deaths and 149 injuries. Hyenas were responsible for over 3,100 cases, mainly involving livestock.
CS Miano emphasized the need for urgent action, noting that while the revised compensation framework now aligns with market rates, funding remains inadequate. She urged the media and stakeholders to highlight the issue and support resource mobilization.
