L.ZONE: Govt to compensate victims of Serengeti elephant rampage

What you need to know:

Speaking with residents of Natta Village recently, the deputy minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr Mahamoud Mgimwa, said the compensation exercise would last for six months, running through December, this year.

Serengeti. The ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has pledged to compensate families whose members were either killed, wounded or had their crops destroyed by elephants that fled from the Serengeti National Park (Senapa) in Mara Region.

According to the responsible ministry, the compensation will be conducted in accordance with the Wildlife Conservation Act, 2009.

Mr Mgimwa said he had already directed responsible officials from the ministry to start working on the matter which he said remained unattended to for many years while its effects were increasing.

“I want to assure you (Natta residents) that we will start compensating you within this month. Even though we might not manage to compensate all of you at once, we are certain that the exercise will be finished by December this year,” said Mr Mgimwa.

The deputy minister however directed the area wildlife and extension officers to speed the destruction assessment exercise and submit their reports to the ministry in time.

He also asked the public to avoid farming near national parks.

For his part, the Serengeti District administrative secretary, Mr Paulo Shanyangi, said they were finalising a report on food demand which he said would be forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office (Disaster Management Unit) for helping the needy.

Natta Ward extension officer Jonathan Kiula said a total of 77 hectares of maize, millet, paddy, cotton, sisal and yams were severely damaged by the elephants this year.

Available statistics indicate that some 6,500 hectares of crops have been damaged, 15 people and 200 animals have been killed since 2007.