A National Assembly committee has raised concerns over the spending of Ksh.300 million on consultancy services for wildlife compensation.
The money was part of Ksh.800 million allocated to the State Department for Wildlife for compensation of the victims of wildlife attacks.
The Tourism and Wildlife Committee, chaired by Maara MP Kareke Mbiuki said paying Ksh.300 million for consultancy services could not be justified.
“What kind of services were worth Ksh300 million?” asked Mbiuki.
The issue arose during a meeting with officials from the State Department to discuss the budget estimates for the 2026/27 financial year.
The Committee was informed that the Ksh.800 million allocation was meant for the digitalisation of the Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) victim compensation programme as a pilot project.
Members were told that Ksh.300 million was paid to a firm that developed the digital system, while the remaining amount was used to compensate victims injured by wild animals and families who lost loved ones in wildlife attacks.
Voi MP Abdi Chome demanded details of the digitization project to determine whether the expenditure offered value for money.
“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,” said Chome.
Ijara MP Abdi Ali said compensation for wildlife victims was a sensitive matter and questioned why funds meant for victims were diverted to consultancy services.
Aditionally, Lamu East MP Mohammed Ruweida said Members of Parliament were deeply concerned about compensation for victims and stressed that the allocated funds should be used carefully and transparently.
“The issue of compensation for victims has always been raised on the floor of the House. The State Department should be transparent in disbursing funds to victims,” said Hon. Ruweida.
The Committee was informed that the department’s budget for the 2026/27 financial year stands at Ksh.16.5 billion, up from Ksh.15.1 billion in the previous financial year.
Out of the budget, Ksh.13.6 billion will go to Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs), Ksh.1.9 billion for compensation of human-wildlife conflict victims, Ksh546 million for recurrent expenditure, and Ksh.382 million for development projects.
Outstanding pending bills currently stand at Ksh.1.1 billion.
