Nakuru County Director for Environment, Water and Natural resources Kiogora Muriithi during a community forum in Nakuru East on human-wildlife conflict. [Photo: Pristone Mambili]
Compensation for victims of human-wildlife conflict has remained a major challenge as residents of Nakuru East and Nakuru West, bordering Nakuru National Park, continue to lament on the injuries being caused by monkeys and baboons.
In a meeting held at Menengai Social Hall in Nakuru East sub-county on Wednesday, residents drawn from Kivumbini, Flamingo, Barut, Nakuru East and Rhonda wards, which border Lake National Park said wild animals have been attacking them.
“We cannot continue to lose our lives and roofs of our houses destroyed by baboons yet KWS cannot compensate us,” a resident said.
This comes barely two months after a school pupil was injured by a baboon that attacked him while at school in Kivumbini Ward, Nakuru Town East.
Similar cases have also been reported in Nakuru East Ward which also borders Lake Nakuru National Park where women have been reportedly harassed by the baboons.
The Wildlife Conservation and Management Act (2013) stipulate that a genuine victim of human-wildlife conflict has a right to seek compensation.
However, according to KWS one may be compensated for death and injury if attacked by: an elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, hyena, crocodile, cheetah, buffalo, snake, hippo, shark, stonefish, whale, stingray, wild dog, and wild pig.
This means that an attack by baboons or monkeys is not compensated by the Kenya Wildlife service.
An officer from KWS who attended the Wednesday community Forum called on the residents living near parks to change habits that might attract the animals to human premises.
“I know we have issues of human resource to do patrols along our fences, I call on residents to ensure they report whenever they see wild animals in their premises,” said the KWS officer.
Kivumbini Ward MCA Wilbur Onyango and his Flamingo Ward counterpart Eddy Kiragu called for proper policies that will ensure compensation.
The two Members of Nakuru County Assembly vowed to have legislation that will enable compensation.