For thousands of Kenyans living on the frontline of human-wildlife conflict, the promise of government compensation has become a waiting game measured not in months, but in years.
Across the country, widows who lost husbands to elephant attacks, families mourning children killed by crocodiles, and farmers whose livelihoods have been destroyed by marauding wildlife continue to wait for compensation that, in many cases, has remained unpaid for more than a decade.
Official figures indicate that more than 20,000 compensation claims remain unresolved, exposing what critics describe as one of the government’s most persistent failures in delivering justice to victims of human-wildlife conflict.
Now, the backlog has placed the spotlight squarely on the leadership of the State Department for Wildlife and its Principal Secretary, Silvia Museiya Kihoro, who is facing mounting political and public pressure over the handling of the compensation programme.
The scrutiny has intensified following parliamentary questions over a KSh300 million consultancy contract linked to the digitalisation of the compensation system, even as thousands of victims remain unpaid.
Parliament Demands Answers
When officials from the State Department for Wildlife appeared before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife to defend their 2026/27 budget, Members of Parliament zeroed in on one expenditure that immediately raised eyebrows.
Of an KSh800 million allocation intended for the Human-Wildlife Conflict compensation programme, KSh300 million had been spent on consultancy services to develop a digital compensation platform.
Committee Chairperson Hon. Kareke Mbiuki (Maara) openly questioned whether taxpayers had received value for money.
“What kind of services were worth KSh300 million?” he asked.
The department told lawmakers that the consultancy was necessary to digitise compensation processing and improve efficiency.
But MPs questioned the logic of spending nearly 40 per cent of the allocation on consultancy while thousands of victims remained uncompensated.
Voi MP Abdi Chome demanded detailed documentation of the project.
“Provide the Committee with details of the digital project to justify paying such a huge amount. How do you spend KSh300 million to create a programme for paying out KSh500 million? There is no value for money.”
His concerns were echoed by Ijara MP Abdi Ali, who questioned whether resources intended for victims had been appropriately prioritised, while Lamu East MP Mohammed Ruweida called for greater transparency in the use of public funds.
Although the department maintains that the digital platform is intended to improve efficiency, legislators are seeking further information before determining whether the expenditure represented prudent use of public resources.
Thousands Still Waiting
The questions over expenditure come against a backdrop of a compensation programme struggling to meet public expectations.
Under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, victims of wildlife attacks are entitled to compensation after verification by the relevant authorities. However, implementation has been slowed by funding constraints, administrative bottlenecks, verification delays, and a growing accumulation of unpaid claims.
For many affected families, the delays have had profound consequences. Some have borrowed heavily to cover medical expenses after attacks, while others have been left without financial support following the loss of breadwinners.
Leaders from wildlife-rich counties have repeatedly argued that communities living alongside wildlife bear the costs of conservation while waiting years for compensation promised under the law.
Petition Seeks Removal of PS
The growing dissatisfaction has now spilled into a political campaign for accountability.
A petition is reportedly being prepared for submission to Parliament seeking the removal of Principal Secretary Silvia Museiya from office, citing the prolonged compensation delays and concerns over the administration of the programme.
Supporters of the initiative argue that senior accounting officers should be held accountable where critical government services fail to reach citizens in a timely manner.
The petition does not itself establish wrongdoing, and any consideration of removal would follow constitutional and parliamentary procedures.
Public Confidence Erodes
Beyond Parliament, questions are also being raised about the department’s public standing.
According to a Politrack Africa survey released on 30 June 2026, Silvia Museiya ranked 55th out of 56 Principal Secretaries, with the poll reporting that 69 per cent of respondents rated her performance negatively.
While opinion polls reflect public perception rather than legal findings, the survey underscores growing dissatisfaction with the department’s handling of one of its most sensitive mandates.
A Bigger Governance Question
The controversy extends beyond one consultancy contract.
It raises broader questions about how public resources are prioritised when government programmes fail to deliver timely services to citizens.
The State Department for Wildlife told Parliament that its 2026/27 budget stands at KSh16.5 billion, including KSh1.9 billion earmarked for compensation and pending bills amounting to KSh1.1 billion.
For legislators, the challenge is not merely the size of the allocation but whether resources are translating into tangible relief for victims.
As parliamentary oversight continues, MPs are expected to seek procurement records, project documentation, and implementation reports relating to the digital compensation system.
Whether those records demonstrate value for money remains a matter for parliamentary scrutiny and, where appropriate, oversight institutions such as the Auditor-General and investigative agencies.
The Human Cost
Behind the budget figures and parliamentary exchanges are families who continue to wait.
For victims of human-wildlife conflict, the debate is not simply about procurement or administrative systems. It is about whether the State can honour its legal obligation to compensate citizens who have suffered loss in the interest of conserving Kenya’s globally celebrated wildlife.
Until the long-standing backlog is substantially reduced and questions surrounding the digitalisation project are fully addressed, the State Department for Wildlife is likely to remain under intense public and parliamentary scrutiny.
Editor’s Note: This report is based on parliamentary proceedings, publicly reported budget discussions, public opinion polling, and claims contained in a reported petition. Questions regarding the KSh300 million consultancy expenditure remain under parliamentary scrutiny.
No court or oversight body has concluded that the Principal Secretary or any State Department official committed financial misconduct.
byronian4@gmail.com
About the Author
