The Kenya Wildlife Service has finalized validation of proposed new park fees following the final meeting with stakeholders.
Speaking at Kenya Wildlife Service headquarters in Nairobi, KWS Director General Erastus Kanga said the new charges were a result of an exhaustive public participation exercise.
He said the development is part of the government’s Bottom –Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) that seeks to ensure the benefits of all sectors permeate every level of the society through integration of conservation objectives with Kenya’s broader developmental aspirations.
“The conservation fee collection process will embrace a sophisticated, user-friendly digital payment system, providing unparalleled convenience for visitors across the world.”He said
Vehicles with less than six seats will be charged 500 shillings per day to access the parks while those with 45 seats and above will be charged 5,000 shillings a day. For aircrafts with less than 3 seats, they will pay 500 shillings per landing while those above 21 sets will be charged 3,500 shillings per landing.
The wildlife resources provide a myriad of socio economic benefit which support Kenya‘s national development plan and the ambitious Vision 2030.
Kenya Wildlife Service manages 25 terrestrial national parks, 29 terrestrial national reserves, 4 marine national parks, 6 marine national reserves, 6 national wildlife sanctuaries, and 3 captive wildlife management facilities.
The Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013 empowers KWS to collect government revenue where the lion’s share originates from the conservation fees visitors pay when entering parks, reserves, and sanctuaries. These funds ensure ecological integrity, financial stability, and forging robust community partnerships
Sally Namuye and Farah Yusuf
