Heartbreak As; Man Dies by Suicide Over Unfulfilled KWS Compensation Delay
A month after Citizen TV highlighted the plight of Dismas Kogo, a hyena attack survivor seeking compensation from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the story has taken a tragic turn. Kogo, a security guard who sustained severe injuries five years ago, was found dead in his Ngong home on January 1, 2025, in an apparent suicide.
Dismas, who lost a finger and suffered deep leg wounds in the attack, had struggled with frustration and despair as his efforts to secure compensation remained fruitless. Citizen TV’s visit to his home on December 15, 2024, revealed a man overwhelmed by hopelessness.
“I was born to a single mother; as the firstborn, I carry many responsibilities. I had dreams of joining the army, and I was confident I’d make it. Now, I can’t do anything. My parents sold everything they had for my treatment, but instead of receiving compensation to help rebuild my life, I’ve gotten nothing. I haven’t even married because I can’t see the point,” Dismas lamented at the time.
At the Ngong mortuary, his final moments are pieced together through the last clothes he wore and the rope the police say he used to hang himself. His uncle, David Kiprito Leting, expressed the family’s anguish over his struggles and the failure of KWS to provide the promised funds.
“He’s gone now, lying in a coffin. We’ve tried to follow up on his compensation, but no one has given him a cent. He even received a letter claiming the money had been sent to the bank, but there was nothing,” Leting recounted.
Neighbors and Dismas’s employer reported the incident to Ngong Police Station after discovering his body. The tragedy has amplified calls for accountability from KWS, which has yet to respond to inquiries about Kogo’s compensation.
The case highlights the devastating human toll of unresolved compensation claims and the pressing need for a more responsive system for victims of human-wildlife conflict
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Heartbreak As; Man Dies by Suicide Over Unfulfilled KWS Compensation Delay
