The decision by MPs to amend the Wildlife Management and Conservation Act has left the taxpayer with a Sh4.83 billion bill needed to compensate victims of human-wildlife conflict.

The National Assembly's Environment and Natural Resources committee is seeking to amend the Act to remove a provision that set a minimum Sh5 million compensation for every life lost.

Nominated MP Amina Abdalla, who chairs the committee, called for a review of the compensation rates to make them affordable to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in future.

"The committee is currently reviewing the Wildlife Management and Conservation Act, 2013 and would (review) the compensation rates," said Ms Abdalla.

She revealed the compensation bill when she appeared before the Budget and Appropriations committee chaired by Mbeere South MP Mutava Musyimi.

The Ministry of Environment says the current compensation claims for death and injury alone stand at Sh2.3 billion.

"The claimants list for death and injury alone from January 10, 2014 is over 200 people. We have not computed claims for destruction of crops since we have not sat to decide on the figures arising from lodged claims," said Mr Michael Kipkeu, the senior assistant director community wildlife service at the KWS, in an interview.

Mr Kipkeu said most claims arise from death as a result of snake bites.

"It is our proposal if we remove claims for snake bites and destruction of crops, we will comfortably pay the Sh5 million for any death arising from wildlife conflict. We know that no amount of money can compensate a lost life. We however empathise with families who have lost their kin and assure them the government is working to compensate them," he said.

In the 2016/2017 financial year the human -wildlife mitigation programme has been allocated Sh180 million, which is far below the funds needed to operationalise the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013.

The KWS has been allocated a budget of Sh1.6 billion despite a salary shortfall of Sh574 million.

"The government should allocate an additional Sh887 million to offset pending salary bills in five regional development authorities including the KWS," said Ms Abdalla.

She said the committee will propose changes to the Act that will see the KWS pay compensation based on the third party insurance system.

"We want to introduce the use of a third-party system that will assess what a person will be paid in case of death. There are those who are bread winners while others are just minors. The rate of compensation should not be equal," she told MPs at a meeting in County Hall.

Source - http://allafrica.com