Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano . [File, Standard]
Members of Parliament want the government to ring-fence a substantial amount of money earned from the Tourism sector to be used for compensation of victims of the human-wildlife conflict.
This was after Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano told the National Assembly Committee on Public Petition that the country earned Sh562 billion in 2025 and Sh452 billion in 2024 from the tourism sector.
Kuria East MP Marwa Kitayama pointed out that the sustainability of compensation of victims of human-wildlife conflict was dependent on the goodwill of the government of the day and that there was a need to have it anchored in law.
“While we acknowledge the Ministry of Tourism's efforts in clearing backlog for compensation of victims of human-wildlife conflict, there are concerns that the allocation of compensation fund is neither anchored in law nor does it compare to the revenue generated by the sector,” said Kitayama.
Miano told the MPs the earnings from the Tourism sector were injected in crucial sectors like security, education and infrastructure development in the country and that the government was doing everything possible to create a conducive environment for more tourists visiting the country.
Kajiado South MP George Sunkuyia said the Sh5million given out as compensation to families of individuals who have lost their loved ones after being killed by wild animals was very little and the government should consider increasing it further.