President William Ruto has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting communities affected by human-wildlife conflict by rolling out a KSh950 million compensation programme for victims in the current financial year.
Speaking during the official launch at Meru National Park, President Ruto said the government is streamlining the compensation process to ensure dignity and justice is restored for families living in conservation hotspots.
“We are streamlining compensation for human-wildlife conflict to restore dignity and deliver justice to our communities on the frontline of the much-needed conservation,” President Ruto said.
To ensure faster and more transparent service delivery, the government is deploying digital technologies to manage claims, eliminate inefficiencies, and reduce delays.
In addition, the President announced the operationalisation of the Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund—a sustainable financing model designed to support long-term conservation efforts and ensure reliable funding for affected communities.
“We are allocating sufficient resources to pay pending claims and introducing innovative funding mechanisms through the Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund,” he added.
Communities surrounding national parks and reserves have long decried the slow and sometimes inaccessible compensation system, especially in cases involving loss of life, crop destruction, or injuries caused by wildlife.
The KSh950 million disbursement is part of a broader national strategy to make wildlife conservation beneficial to local communities while securing Kenya’s ecological heritage.
President Ruto emphasized that protecting Kenya’s wildlife must go hand in hand with protecting the lives and livelihoods of people living in conservation areas.
