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{
    "id": 457666,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/457666/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 350,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Korere",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13134,
        "legal_name": "Sara Paulata Korere",
        "slug": "sara-paulata-korere"
    },
    "content": "wildlife have for a long time suffered. They have felt that the Government takes the wildlife to be more important than human beings. Recently, in Laikipia County, an elephant walked comfortably into a homestead and killed the owner of the home. I am not talking about the bush. This happened right inside his home and in front of his children and wives. This is very painful. I must congratulate the Committee because of the clause on compensation. It is a good aspect of this Bill. However, Kshs3 million for human life is very little. I urge the Committee to look into that. As it is now, even the little money that is paid by the Government for compensation, it takes the families ages to get it. I know of families who have members who were killed more than two or three years ago and they are yet to get any cent in form of compensation. So as we finalize this Bill, it is important to note that we can even set the timeframe within which compensation for death caused by wild animals should be done. We have to relook at the clause on punishment to be meted out to poachers and hunters. I hope my friend who said that he is a hunter is no longer a hunter and that he is neither hunted. I want to believe that these measures are punitive. I do not know why we want to uphold double standards in this House. What our media was crying loud about, even coming up with big headlines such as “Draconian Bill” is simply because they were not happy with the fines. I do not support poaching, but we can also understand that sometimes some communities or some people can end up killing animals for one reason or the other or during famine. So, if you tell such people to pay a fine of, say, Kshs20million or else go to jail, I do not think it is fair. I want to take the issue of community involvement in wildlife conservation. We must appreciate the communities in Kenya which have made wildlife survive. It has been because of the traditional institutions that recognize wildlife conservation. It will be important for the national Government and the county governments to give the communities incentives so that they continue using their traditional institutions in the management and conservation of wildlife. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker as I finish, I want to take issue with the management of national parks and game reserves. In places like Laikipia, we need to revisit the issue of the big pieces of land that are managed by private individuals who inherited this land from the colonial masters and up to date they continue to enjoy the wildlife that was preserved and conserved by our people and yet the communities there do not get a cent."
}