KWS: Why raising park fees for visitors to Kenya's national parks is long overdue

The quest to double revenue from Kenya’s national parks now rests with Parliament after a public validation exercise was completed on Thursday.

This follows a meeting in Nairobi between Kenya Wildlife Service and tourism and wildlife stakeholders that validated Wildlife Conservation and Management (Access and Conservation Fees) Regulations, 2025.

The updated draft on the proposed tariffs incorporates feedback received during 20 public participation forums conducted throughout the country.

In the proposals, East Africa citizens visiting premium parks such as Lake Nakuru and Amboseli will pay an entry fee of Sh1,500 while non-residents will pay $90 (Sh11,600).  Locals visiting Nairobi Park will pay Sh1,000 while non-residents will pay $80 (Sh10,300). Currently, a Kenyan visiting Nairobi Park pay an entry fee of Sh430.

According to KWS Director General, Prof Erustus Kanga, the body collects Sh7.98 billion annually in conservation fees from the national parks and reserves. Kanga says under the proposed framework, this figure is projected to grow to Sh16.5 billion by 2028.

All KWS tariffs were last reviewed 18 years ago.

Revenue generated by the proposed tariff adjustments will sustainably fund rangers, restore habitats, improve visitor facilities and empower communities living side by side with wildlife. 

It will also be used to market majority of Kenya’s national parks that remain under the radar of popular tourism circuits.

“We will scale up targeted marketing for both our flagship and lesser-known parks, boosting awareness, diversifying demand, and distributing visitors more evenly across the country. These improvements will not only enrich the visitor experience but also strengthen the tourism economy that supports thousands of livelihoods,” said Kanga.

According to the 2019 KWS Strategic Action Plan, out of 23 national parks in Kenya, only five have historically contributed over 80 per cent of revenue to the government. These are Nairobi, Tsavo East and West, Amboseli, Nakuru.

However, Amboseli is set to be managed by Kajiado County government following a sustained clamour by the Maasai community to have the park under the county management. Should Amboseli National Park fall under the county management, KWS will forfeit the aforementioned revenue.

Other parks such as Malka Mari, Marsabit and Sibiloi are located in very remote regions and attract little visitors, yet they require biodiversity protection and constant surveillance as they lay within volatile areas. Calls to have some of these parks managed by private entities to improve revenue generation was met with stiff opposition from Kenyans.

In Africa, Akagera National Park in Rwanda is a perfect example of how the private sector can collaborate in the management of a public resource. The park is managed by the NGO, African Parks in conjunction with Rwanda Development Board. It has seen visitor numbers rise from 15,000 in 2010 to 50,000 in 2019 while revenue increased from $203,000 (Ksh26.2 million) to $2.6 million (Ksh336 million) during the same period.

“Safeguarding our wildlife and ecosystems comes at a very heavy investment. A lion in Tsavo East National Park must be protected from poaching. A turtle hatchling in Watamu Marine Park must find its way to the ocean. Rangers must patrol day and night, aircraft must fly, and communities living alongside parks must benefit if conservation is to succeed. Without adequate funding, conservation risks becoming a dream deferred,” he said.

Should the Parliamentary Committee on Delegated Legislation consider and approve these proposals, several special interest groups will access Kenya’s parks for free including tour guides, community guides, boat crews, and porters who are members of registered associations and licensed by the Tourism Regulatory Authority.

Children under five years, senior citizens aged 70 and above, and persons with disabilities will also enjoy free entry into national parks.

Communities living adjacent to national parks will benefit from bicycle hiring charges, allowing them to leverage bicycle services as a source of livelihood support and as part of broader community benefit-sharing initiatives aimed at expanding the wildlife economy.

However, use of motorcycles within the parks has been omitted due to concerns over noise pollution and wildlife security issues. KWS officials says poaching of small wildlife species has in the past been done by persons riding on motorcycles.

Beyond the traditional game drive, the new regulations open doors to immersive experiences such as animal tracking, conservation activities, cultural tourism, and adventure tourism.

“We are determined to ensure that these regulations are developed, adopted, and implemented through an inclusive process. During the public participation forums, we carefully considered the key issues raised by stakeholders including calls to diversify Kenya’s wildlife tourism products, improve the visitor experience in our parks by upgrading sanitary facilities and road infrastructure, and provide greater support to professionals in the tourism industry,” Kanga said.