Kenya Wildlife Service Invites Citizens to Submit Views on New Proposed Higher Park Fees
- The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has proposed new regulations that will hike the park entry fees for local and international tourists
- In a notice on Tuesday, July 22, the state corporation explained why it adjusted the entry fees for Kenya's major parks
- If the proposals are passed, local and international tourists will pay significantly higher fees to access game parks
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The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has declared a thorough public participation process regarding the suggested increase to park entry and conservation fees.
Source: Twitter
The exercise will include 20 in-person forums countrywide from Tuesday, July 29, to Friday, August 8, 2025.
In a notice published in the government newspaper MyGov on Tuesday, July 22, KWS noted that the move is a significant step toward bolstering Kenya's conservation financing structure.
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Which KWS regulations propose a hike in park fees?
The government agency noted that the Regulatory Impact Statement and the draft Wildlife Conservation and Management (Access and Conservation) (Fees) Regulations, 2025, serve as the foundation for the consultations.
The instruments suggest reviewing conservation fees for admission to national parks, reserves, marine parks, and sanctuaries, for the first significant fee revision since 2007.
"These consultations represent our commitment to inclusive decision-making. We particularly want to hear from communities living near wildlife areas, tour operators, conservationists, and the Kenyan public. Every voice matters in shaping the future of our parks," KWS director general Erustus Kanga explained.
Why is KWS reviewing park fees?
According to KWS, nearly 90% of KWS's internal income comes from tourism, which is a major component of Kenya's current conservation financing scheme.
However, it clarified that it has faced significant sustainability gaps, including inflation, climate change, conflict between humans and wildlife, and revenue instability.
"Challenges such as inflation, climate change, human-wildlife conflict, and revenue volatility have exposed major sustainability gaps."
KWS reiterated that it spends 72% of its yearly budget on staffing, which leaves little money for habitat restoration, wildlife security, and infrastructure development.
It noted that despite a decade of increasing operating costs, conservation fees were last reviewed in 2007.
"Only 10% of the money is allocated to development, which includes ranger housing, car purchases, fencing, and surveillance equipment. The top five parks (Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Nairobi, Tsavo East, and Tsavo West) contribute 73% of all park revenue, subsidising over 150 field stations and conflict response units. We are not just adjusting numbers, we are recalibrating a system to ensure Kenya’s wildlife heritage thrives for generations," Kanga stated.
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What are the new proposed park fees in Kenya?
The regulations propose to raise the park entry fees to the country's two premier parks, Amboseli National Park and Lake Nakuru National Park, from the current KSh 860 to KSh 1,500.
This represents a 74.4% increase for adult residents and other East African Community (EAC) nationalities.
Tsavo East and Tsavo West park admission fees will increase from KSh 515 to KSh 1,000, and local visitors will now pay KSh 1,000 instead of KSh 430 to enter Nairobi National Park.
The charge will rise from $60 (KSh 7,770) to $90 (KSh 11,660) for foreign visitors, representing a 50% increase.
The current KSh 300 price will more than double to KSh 800 for Kenyans and other EAC citizens to enter Meru, Kora, and Aberdare national parks.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
