A Wildlife Compensation Committee will soon be launched in Nyandarua County to speed up the settlement of claims lodged by victims of attacks by wild animals, the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Rebecca Miano has said.
She promised to fastrack unveiling of the Committee to process many claims lodged by residents who are victims of human-wildlife conflict.
“I will soon unveil the Committee so that it can process the claims for payment,” the CS said when he presided over a tree planting ceremony at Iriani Primary School on the shores of Lake Olbolosat in Ndaragwa constituency, Nyandarua County on Friday.
Miano praised the residents for peaceful co-existence with the animals, particularly the large population of hippos in Lake Olbolosat.
She was reacting to an appeal by the County Commissioner (CC) Abdirisack Jaldesa who had urged for the gazetting of the County Compensation committee members to fast-track payments of claims lodged by victims of human-wildlife conflict.
The CC who is supposed to be the chairman of the County Compensation Committee said Nyandarua has many people who are victims of human-wildlife conflict.
“Nyandarua is also home to hippos and other animals and once in a while they destroy crops or harm people. Recently a buffalo killed a man and hippos have often killed livestock in homes,” the CC told the Tourism and Wildlife CS.