Kenya launches awareness campaign to mobilize funds for human-wildlife conflict compensation

NAIROBI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Wednesday launched a 19-day awareness campaign to mobilize funds for human-wildlife conflict compensation, according to a senior government official.

Rebecca Miano, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, told journalists in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the country faces 20,000 pending compensation claims worth 1.36 billion Kenyan shillings (about 10.5 million U.S. dollars) awaiting payment.

"The compensation drive is expected to cover key wildlife conflict hotspots, including Laikipia, Narok, Taita Taveta, Kajiado and Samburu," Miano said.

She noted that 7,883 human-wildlife conflict incidents were recorded in 2024, with elephants contributing to the highest number of cases.

Miano said Kenya needs to mobilize additional resources to establish a human-wildlife conflict fund, whose proceeds will also support advocacy for preventive solutions.

She revealed that the country has endeavored to strike a balance between the protection of natural heritage and the needs of communities living next to wildlife habitats. Enditem