MPs question Sh300 million wildlife consultancy payment
National
By
Josphat Thiong’o
| May 16, 2026
Lawmakers sitting in the National Assembly’s Tourism and Wildlife Committee have raised concerns over the spending of Sh300 million on consultancy services by the State Department for Wildlife.
The concerns emerged after it was revealed that the amount formed part of Sh800 million allocated to the department for compensation of victims of wildlife attacks. The matter came up during a meeting convened to discuss budget estimates for the 2026/27 financial year.
Appearing before the committee chaired by Maara MP Kariuki Mbiuki, officials from the State Department said the entire Sh800 million had been earmarked for the digitalisation of the Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) victims’ compensation programme as a pilot project.
The committee heard that Sh300 million was paid to a firm contracted to develop the digital system, while the remaining funds were used to compensate victims injured by wild animals and families that lost loved ones in wildlife attacks.
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The revelation sparked sharp criticism from MPs, who questioned the justification for the expenditure and sought clarity on the transparency of the compensation process.
Committee chairperson Kariuki Mbiuki said the payment of Sh300 million for consultancy services could not be justified and demanded supporting documents from the State Department.
“What kind of services were worth Sh300 million?” asked Mbiuki.
Voi MP Abdi Chome demanded full details of the digitisation project to determine whether taxpayers received value for money from the expenditure.
“You should provide the Committee with details of the digital project to justify paying such a huge amount. How do you spend Sh300 million to create a programme for paying out Sh500 million? I am convinced that there was no value for money,” stated Chome.
Ijara MP Abdi Ali said compensation for victims of wildlife attacks was a sensitive matter and questioned why money intended for victims had been diverted to consultancy services.
Lamu East MP Mohammed Ruweida said MPs remained concerned about delayed compensation and urged the department to ensure transparency in the disbursement of funds.
“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,” remarked Ruweida.
Compensation for victims of wildlife attacks has remained a contentious issue for years, with many victims complaining of delays in payments.
Speaking during the issuance of compensation cheques in Isara, Kajiado East Constituency last year, Principal Secretary for Wildlife and Tourism Sylvia Museiya said the government had intensified efforts to address human-wildlife conflict and planned to disburse Sh3.8 billion to affected victims across the country.
Museiya disclosed that the government released Sh908 million in 2023 and another Sh960 million in 2024, while a further Sh1.95 billion had been allocated for compensation in 2025.
While acknowledging that the funds were still insufficient due to the high number of pending claims, the PS reaffirmed the government’s commitment to speed up compensation and assured victims awaiting payment that additional funds would be released in the next financial year.
She also encouraged those yet to receive compensation to follow up their claims with the department, noting that verification was ongoing.
Meanwhile, the committee heard that the State Department for Tourism and Wildlife has been allocated Sh16.5 billion for the 2026/27 financial year, up from Sh15.1 billion in the previous financial year.
Of the allocation, Sh13.6 billion will go to Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs), Sh1.9 billion for compensation of human-wildlife conflict victims, Sh546 million for recurrent expenditure and Sh382 million for development projects.
The department is also grappling with Sh1.1 billion in pending bills.