Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, Ms. Peninah Malonza appeared before the National Assembly to answer Members' Questions on different matters concerning her Ministry.

 Hon. Gedion Mulyungi (Mwingi Central) wanted to know from the CS what measures her Ministry has put in place to to minimize the cases of human-wildlife conflict. 

The CS highlighted various short-term measures including stationing staff in all the protected areas, collaboration with stakeholders to help manage or limit wildlife encroachment, wildlife drive operations to drive problematic animals away from farming or the community settled areas, instituting wildlife barriers, education and awareness on residents, establishment of community conservancies, providing water in wildlife conservancies, capturing and translocating problematic wildlife, use of technology to monitor movement and activities of large mammals and payment of compensation claims.

 In addition, the CS outlined long-term measures which include; land registration and titling to correct the land use issues causing HWCs, restoration and regeneration of degraded habitats and restoration of wildlife corridors and dispersal areas, improvement of community livelihoods through benefit sharing, and anchoring wildlife sector economy and Carbon/biodiversity credit and financing, to support the dwindling financing of conservation initiatives.

Further, CS Malonza informed the House that her Ministry allocated Kshs.50 million from the Tourism Promotion Fund to be used to fence Kitui South and Mwingi North reserve areas.

On compensation of persons affected by human-wildlife conflict, the CS noted that in Kitui County, a total of 219 claims totaling Kshs. 129,804,434 are eligible for payment. She added that  a partial payment of Kshs.52,856,386 will be paid between July 2023 and August 2023. "The balance of 29 claims valued at Ksh.76,948,048 will be paid from the Kshs.1.1billion received in the Financial Year 2023/2024," CS Malonza said. 

Hon. John Kiarie (Dagoretti South) and Hon. Beatrice Elachi (Dagoretti North) raised concern about monkeys being relocated to Nairobi. Hon. Elachi noted that there may be a need to create awareness on how humans and animals can co-exist.