Nairobi: The government has affirmed its commitment to implementing legislative reforms aimed at addressing the growing human-wildlife conflict and environmental degradation. Principal Secretary, State Department for Wildlife and Tourism, Ms. Silvia Museiya, announced that the proposed Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2025 is a crucial step towards restoring balance between conservation efforts and community welfare, noting that the current legislation is outdated and inadequate in protecting vulnerable communities living near wildlife habitats.
According to Kenya News Agency, Ms. Museiya highlighted that the proposed Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2025 seeks to modernize the governance, conservation, utilization, and benefit-sharing of wildlife resources for the benefit of all Kenyans. Despite wildlife conservation being a key pillar of Kenya's economy, supporting the tourism sector and other aspects of the wildlife economy, the sector faces numerous challenges including human-wildlife conflicts, climate change impacts, habitat loss, outdated legislation, and inequitable benefit-sharing mechanisms.
Ms. Museiya expressed optimism that the proposed statute could transform the economy by introducing a forward-looking agenda for Kenya's conservation sector. The Bill is expected to lead to a more inclusive and effective approach to wildlife conservation, benefiting both nature and humans. These remarks were delivered by Mr. Eric Watende, Deputy Director, Wildlife Conservation, State Department for Wildlife, during a public participation forum at the Rift Valley Regional Commissioner's plenary hall, where stakeholders discussed various amendments to the Bill.
Through a gazette notice dated April 22, 2025, the Ministry is engaging citizens across all 47 counties from May 7 to May 26, 2025, to gather views on the proposed Bill. The Wildlife Bill 2025 (amendment) aims to harmonize wildlife laws with the Constitution of Kenya (2010), integrate the National Wildlife Policy (2020) and Wildlife Strategy (2030), and clarify roles between national and county governments. It also addresses emerging conservation issues such as habitat loss and climate change and reengineers the wildlife compensation system for faster and fairer outcomes.
Residents of Nakuru have welcomed the initiative but raised concerns over delayed compensation for wildlife-related damages, delayed response after wildlife attacks, lack of compensation for livestock and crop destruction by wildlife, and restricted access to traditionally owned communal lands due to the gazettement of protected areas. Jackson Raini, an expert in Environmental Planning, Management, and Governance, highlighted increased destruction of crops and attacks on humans by baboons in certain areas, and stressed the need for fair and timely compensation, proposing that primates be included in the list of wildlife species eligible for compensation.
The current compensation model was criticized for being slow and inconsistent, with calls for a simplified and efficient process to ensure timely relief for victims of wildlife-related damage. The reforms are expected to align with the Constitution of Kenya (2010), the National Wildlife Policy (2020), and Kenya Vision 2030. Other residents emphasized the need for clarity on conservancy register maintenance and urged for reduced bureaucracy.
The Wildlife Law Review Committee, led by Mr. Eric Watende, explained that the ongoing countrywide process is part of their constitutional obligation under Article 10, aiming to involve citizens and stakeholders in shaping a law that reflects their concerns and aspirations. The Bill proposes reforms in governance structures, sustainable financing, human-wildlife conflict management, enforcement, research, and equitable benefit-sharing with local communities. It aims to create a unified legal framework for wildlife management, incorporating key policies and strategies, and seeks to define the respective responsibilities of national and county governments in wildlife matters. The Wildlife Conservation and Management Bill 2025 defines conservation areas as those designated for wildlife conservation, including national parks, reserves, sanctuaries, conservancies, or wildlife critical areas.