Some 609 victims of human-wildlife conflicts in Kajiado will receive Sh196 million in compensation after their claims were processed by the Kenya Wildlife Service.
A total of Sh196,034,802 has been set aside for victims including 21 people who were killed by wild animals.
A 41-page list of the victims was released by the KWS on Saturday which indicates how much each will receive.
This is after the victims and the relatives of the dead furnished the KWS with bank accounts late last year.
The KWS listed all the causes of injuries, property damage, crop destruction and predation and the animals involved, which included mostly elephants, snakes, hyenas, lions, buffalos, wild dogs, elands and zebras.
Among those to be compensated is a teacher, John Matipei from Kajiado West, whose story was carried by the Star after he was attacked by a hyena and left for the dead.
Matipei, however, cheated death after biting the hyena on the nose at his water well. After biting the beast, and dragging it into the water, the hyena sensed danger and took off.
“They are giving me Sh1.6 million for the injuries I sustained during the attack. I expected more because I spent a lot more after my hands were broken,” Matipei told the Star on Sunday.
The list in our possession shows a tabulation of all the cases and the amounts of compensation to each victim. The KWS is paying Sh5 million for the dead.
Levels of injuries, according to KWS determines the amount the victims are paid. The least paid for the injuries sustained by a victim in the provided list is Sh6,000.
During the last drought in Kajiado, cases of human-wildlife conflict intensified in areas near national parks and game reserves.
Most of the human-wildlife conflict reported cases are the ones from snake bites, stray lions, stray elephants, which destroy people’s farms, and stray hyenas and lions in human settlements.
The Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013 put the compensation of the dead at Sh5 million.
