The Government has initiated a marshal plan to fence off Tsavo East National Park in Makueni County, in an effort to end human/wildlife conflict, that is blamed for loss of lives and destruction of property in the area.
The announcement was made, Monday, by Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary (CS), Dr. Alfred Mutua, who disclosed that there was Sh 50 million to be spent to fence the 65 kilometers, between Masongaleni to Ganze Line.
“We have Sh 50 million that is ready, I ask the Director General for the Kenya Wildlife Service, to come to my office, Wednesday, with the document I am going to sign, to procure services and ensure the work starts immediately,” said Dr. Mutua at Kyuasini market in Kibwezi East Sub- county, where he addressed the residents.
“In the last three years that we have witnessed increased drought due to climate change in the country, we have witnessed people killed by wild animals, others injured and property destroyed. This is a problem now I will address it with finality and I have taken it seriously as one of the very important projects in the country,” the CS noted.
During the Baraza, the Cabinet Secretary also revealed that he will allocate another Sh 100 million, to fence-off the 70 kilometers stretch, between Ngiluni to Masongaleni.
“There is a distance between Ngiluni and Masongaleni of 70 kilometers, that requires Sh 100 million. I have a meeting next month to allocate the funds, to ensure the works start by the end of the month,” Dr. Mutua assured.
“By next year you will see the electric fence here and ensure the works continue, to end this menace of human/wildlife conflict in this place once and for all,” he noted.
While promising the residents that the government will compensate those killed, injured or property destroyed, the CS urged them to have some patience, as the government deals with the problem.
“We have 1.1 billion allocated for compensation this year, but we need 5.7 annually to compensate people in Meru, Isiolo, Kajiado, Narok, Kilifi and Kwale. However, I will try to see how the amount can be increased to Sh.2 billion, to compensate the people for loss of lives, injuries and destruction of property,” Dr. Mutua said.
He disclosed that his Ministry was in the process of creating a special account, where money for compensation can be kept, to ensure there is speedy processing of monies for the injured, loss of lives, besides destruction of property.
“It is not good for people to wait for 10 to 20 years to be compensated. We want to create a special account, to enable quick compensation for people killed, injured and destruction of property,” he observed.
On shortage of staff, he said that 1,500 Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers, will be recruited to end the burden of the work besides providing equipment, to enable the rangers execute their work without any hindrance.
The CS said that he will start a mobile education programme, to educate the local people as well as initiate a Rapid Response Patrol Unit, to contain the animals in the Park.
Speaking at the same function, Makueni Governor, Mutula Kilonzo Jr, said there was need to improve the working relations of the KWS officers with the local community, in a bid to ensure there was no bad blood between the two entities.
On conservancies, the Governor noted that there is a problem just as the one at Ngai Ndethya and asked the Ministry to address the problem before it escalates further, as there was bad relations between officers and the local residents.
“At Ngai Ndethya they chased away my Land, Urban Planning Executive Committee Member (ECM), Dr. Sonia Nzilani, when I sent her there. They operate like there is no law in Kenya. The rangers harass wananchi,” the Governor lamented.
Other leaders present included Kibwezi East Member of Parliament (MP), Jessica Mbalu and her Kibwezi West counterpart, Mwengi Mutuse, who called for the fencing of the Tsavo National Park and also compensation of those who lost lives, injured and got their property destroyed.
By Patrick Nyakundi
