Written By Vanessa Kariuki ||
Peninah Malonza, CS Tourism, Animals and Heritage, visited yesterday the Mwingi Central and Mwingi North Constituencies in Kitui County.
The mission, was to inspect the damage that elephant herds roaming through the territories had caused and to determine ways to mitigate the conflict between people and wildlife.
Malonza acknowledged that the primary cause of the elephants’ straying from their natural habitats is a lack of water.
As a result, the ministry plans to dig water pans in key locations and transport water for the animals using water bowsers.
The CS also stated that the ministry is awaiting Kshs. 2.63 billion from the National Treasury, which will be used to compensate victims of human-wildlife conflicts nationwide whose claims have been pending since February 2022.
“However, we must learn to coexist with wild animals and begin to view them as assets. I urge local leaders to start thinking of ways in which communities that co- habit with wildlife can accrue direct benefits from this arrangement,” said CS Malonza.
