Tourism minister Peninah Malonza met locals in Mbirikani area on Sunday and urged them not to spear wandering lions, and to instead reach out to the wildlife service.
The government and conservation groups have a compensation programme for herders whose livestock is killed by wild animals.
But herders have become more protective after losing livestock to a drought that has been termed as the worst in decades in the East Africa region.
Conservation group Big Life Foundation’s Craig Miller said the killing of Loonkiito “was unfortunate” because he was the oldest lion in the Amboseli National Park.
Wild lions rarely live past 15 years, according to conservationists.
