NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 23 — A six-year wait for compensation by a Mandera family whose four-year-old son was bitten by a snake has finally come to an end after the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) intervened to resolve a prolonged payment dispute involving the State Department for Wildlife and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

📻 Breaking It Down

The Ombudsman announced that its intervention led to the release of an outstanding Sh770,000 balance owed to the family of the victim, who sustained injuries in a snakebite incident in Kubihalo Sub-location, Mandera County, in June 2020.

The child’s father, identified as H.M.H., had lodged a complaint with the Commission after years of unsuccessful attempts to secure the balance of compensation approved under the Human-Wildlife Conflict compensation scheme.

The Ministerial Wildlife Compensation Management Committee had approved Sh1.5 million in compensation for the victim. However, the family only received Sh730,000, leaving an unpaid balance of Sh770,000 despite repeated follow-ups with KWS offices in Mandera and Nairobi.

📌 What You Need to Know

According to the complainant, the delay had imposed severe financial and emotional strain on the family, particularly because the child required continuous medical care.

“Travelling from Mandera to Nairobi is very costly, and at times I stay in hotels for even three weeks trying to follow up on the payment at the Ministry and then back to Kenya Wildlife, and then return to the Ministry. This has caused a lot of financial strain on my family and me, coupled with the medical challenges of my son, who needs constant care,” he told the Commission.

After receiving the complaint, the Ombudsman initiated inquiries with KWS. When no response was forthcoming, the Commission issued a reminder.

KWS later informed the Commission that compensation payments were handled by the State Department for Wildlife and requested that the matter be taken up with the department.

Investigations by the Commission uncovered that the outstanding amount had been mistakenly paid to another individual, identified as A.H.A., whose separate claim had already been fully settled.

The State Department for Wildlife subsequently acknowledged the error and directed KWS to recover the wrongly disbursed funds or take appropriate administrative action.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya