A parliamentary committee has launched a scathing attack on the State Department for Wildlife over the spending of Sh300 million on consultancy services under a compensation programme meant for victims of human-wildlife conflict, with MPs questioning whether public funds intended for suffering families are being misused through inflated administrative costs.
Members of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife faulted the State Department for channeling a substantial portion of compensation funds into consultancy services instead of directly supporting victims injured or killed in wildlife attacks.
The issue surfaced during deliberations on the department’s 2026/27 budget estimates after officials disclosed that part of the Sh800 million allocated for compensation had been spent on digitalising the Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) compensation programme.
According to the department, Sh300 million was paid to a consultancy firm that developed 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.
Committee Chairperson Kareke Mbiuki sharply questioned the justification for the expenditure, signaling growing concern within Parliament over possible wasteful spending in a programme meant to cushion vulnerable Kenyans.
“What kind of services were worth Sh300 million?” asked Hon. Mbiuki.
MPs appeared dissatisfied with the explanation given by officials, arguing that nearly half of the allocation being consumed by consultancy fees exposed glaring concerns over value for money and prioritisation within the compensation programme.
Abdi Chome demanded full disclosure of the digitalisation project, warning that Parliament could not overlook what lawmakers viewed as excessive expenditure under a fund intended to assist victims of wildlife attacks.
“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? There is no value for money,” said Chome.
The lawmakers further questioned why victims and bereaved families continue to raise complaints over delayed compensation even as hundreds of millions are spent on consultancy and system development.
Abdi Ali said compensation for wildlife victims remains an extremely sensitive matter and questioned why money earmarked for direct relief had been diverted to consultancy services.
The committee warned that the continued diversion of compensation funds into administrative expenditure risks eroding public confidence in the programme, particularly in wildlife-prone regions where affected families depend on government support after attacks.
Mohammed Ruweida stressed that the management of compensation funds must be transparent and accountable amid persistent public outcry over delayed payouts.
“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 Ruweida.
The revelations came as the State Department informed the committee that its proposed budget for the 2026/27 financial year has risen to Sh16.5 billion from Sh15.1 billion in the previous financial year.
Out of the proposed allocation, Sh13.6 billion will go to Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs), Sh1.9 billion has been earmarked for human-wildlife conflict compensation, Sh546 million for recurrent expenditure and Sh382 million for development projects.
The committee was also told that the department is carrying pending bills amounting to Sh1.1 billion, further intensifying concerns over financial management and the agency’s capacity to effectively compensate victims across the country.
