State Department for Wildlife on spot over Ksh300 million consultancy fee
State Department for Wildlife on spot over Ksh300 million consultancy fee
Members of the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife have questioned the State Department for Wildlife over the use of Ksh300 million on consultancy services linked to a wildlife compensation digitalisation project.
During a session held at Parliament Buildings on Tuesday, May 12, the committee reviewed the State Department’s budget estimates for the 2026/27 financial year.
According to the department, the consultancy payment formed part of an earlier Ksh800 million allocation that had been set aside for compensating victims of human-wildlife conflict.
Officials explained that the funds were also used to pilot a digital system intended to streamline compensation claims and payments.
Committee Chairperson and Maara MP Kareke Mbiuki questioned the justification for the expenditure, saying the amount spent on consultancy appeared excessive.
“What kind of services were worth Ksh300 million?” he posed during the meeting.
Lawmakers were informed that a private firm had been contracted to develop the digital platform at a cost of Ksh300 million, while the balance of the allocation went toward compensating individuals injured by wild animals and families of those killed in wildlife-related incidents.
Voi MP Abdi Chome demanded a detailed breakdown of the project, arguing that Parliament needed proof the expenditure provided value for money.
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“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,” he said.
Lamu East MP Mohammed Ruweida urged the department to ensure openness and accountability in the handling of compensation 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,” he stated.
During the briefing, the committee was told that the State Department for Wildlife has been allocated Ksh16.5 billion for the 2026/27 financial year, an increase from Ksh15.1 billion in the previous budget cycle.
Out of the allocation, Ksh13.6 billion has been earmarked for Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs), Ksh1.9 billion for compensation related to human-wildlife conflict, Ksh546 million for recurrent expenditure, and Ksh382 million for development projects.
Officials further disclosed that the department currently has pending bills amounting to Ksh1.1 billion.
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