State Department for Wildlife spent Sh1.2 billion on legal fees, neglected key projects - CoB report

The State Department for Wildlife is on the spot for spending Sh1.2 billion on legal fees while leaving critical conservation projects unfunded, with some recording a completion rate as low as three per cent.

The Controller of Budget (CoB), Margaret Nyakang’o, in her report for the Financial Year 2024/2025, flagged the department for undermining conservation and development programmes. The report concedes with a petition filed in the National Assembly by a lobby group requesting an audit of the department’s public fund utilisation.

“The expenditure comprised Sh957.43 million for legal dues/fees, arbitration and compensation payments,” Nyakang’o said in the report, while also flagging the department among those with the highest budget changes, up to 40 per cent.

In the financial year 2024/2025, Parliament approved Sh14.34 billion as the department’s budget, later revised to Sh12.41 billion in Supplementary Estimates I, Sh13.06 billion in Supplementary Estimates II, and Sh12.91 billion in Supplementary Estimates III.

The CoB report notes that while the State Department for Forestry recorded the highest absorption of development funds at 99 per cent, Wildlife recorded the lowest at just 21 per cent. The report also shows that Wildlife recorded the highest recurrent expenditure against revised gross estimates at 101 per cent, whereas the State Department for Environment and Climate Change recorded the lowest at 64 per cent.

Despite receiving an additional Sh900 million “to facilitate smooth implementation of programmes,” half of the Wildlife department’s critical projects remained unfunded. These include the provision of water for wildlife in protected areas, construction and equipping of four research and training centres and development of the National Integrated Wildlife Data Portal.

“Recurrent funds were moderately utilised, but development funds recorded poor uptake,” Nyakang’o said, noting that “the wildlife research and development sub-programme had the highest absorption rate at 108 per cent” while “the wildlife security, conservation and management sub-programme had the lowest ratio at 95 per cent.”

The Capital Youth Caucus Association (CYCA), in its petition to the National Assembly, acknowledged the importance of wildlife conservation and tourism to Kenya’s economy but raised concerns over the department’s financial management.

“Concerns have been raised regarding the efficiency, transparency and accountability of resource utilisation within the department,” reads the petition.

It adds that “misallocation and overspending on legal fees undermines conservation priorities, development of wildlife infrastructure and youth employment opportunities tied to tourism.”

The group further warned that “persistent project delays weaken public confidence, compromise conservation efforts and threaten Kenya’s competitiveness as a leading tourism destination.”

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