MAKUENI, Kenya, Mar 18 – Makueni Members of County Assembly (MCAs) have petitioned the National Parliament to re-introduce compensation for snake bite injuries and deaths.
The MCAs said this on Wednesday after they adopted a report presented by the Committee on Environment and Climate Change tabled by Ilima Ward MCA Joseph Kahindu.
The Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013 was amended in 2019 when the wild dogs and snakes were removed from the list for compensation of animals.
“Wild dogs and snakes were removed from the Act even though they continue to cause damage and death in our localities,” said Kahindu while tabling the report.
Since 2013, 28 people have been killed by wildlife whereby 21 have been compensated Sh105 million and others have been compensated for Sh23 million for injuries and crop damage.
The MCAs also urged the national government to give the Kenya Wildlife Services enough money to enable them to execute their duties as expected besides saying there was need to fence the national parks to reduce the movement of wildlife from straying into people’s farms.
Further the report proposed a construction of earth dams within the parks to reduce the human/wildlife conflict which is prevalent in 10 wards in Kibwezi East and Kibwezi West Subcounties.
The MCAs urged that the Department of Lands, Urban Planning, Natural Resources and Climate Change to spearhead sensitization forums in areas adjacent to the National Parks to minimise the human/wildlife conflict.
Speaking on the same, the Assembly Speaker, Douglas Mbilu, directed the report to be communicated to the people of Kibwezi East and Kibwezi West constituencies.
