KWS Proposes Free Entry to Parks for Select Kenyans

A photo of Kenya Wildlife Service Boss Prof. Erastus Kanga PHOTO/KWS website

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) presented the second draft of the Wildlife Conservation & Management (Access & Conservation Fees) Regulations, 2025 at a stakeholder validation forum in Nairobi.

This revised draft builds on feedback collected from 20 counties during recent public participation forums.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞:

Free entry for tour guides, porters, boat crew, tour leader, children under 5, senior citizens (70+), and persons with disabilities.
Uniform marine park fees of USD 25 for non-residents.
Community-driven bicycle hire schemes.
Discounted Tsavo–Amboseli and Nairobi packages.
New MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) incentives.
Expanded experiences such as night drives, walking safaris, and balloon safaris.

How Revenue Will be Used

Revenue generated will be reinvested to enhance visitor experiences, support local communities, and strengthen conservation efforts.

This marks the first review in 18 years, seeking to close a KES 12B annual funding gap while safeguarding Kenya’s priceless wildlife heritage.

Plans to Increase Park Entry Fees

This comes as the government plans to increase the entry fees in Kenya’s national parks and reserves.

In a recent interview, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano defended the proposed upward revision of ,.

Miano said the decision to increase park fees has been caused by the rising costs of maintaining the facilities.

“I would wish to correct that the fees have been constant for a very long time. It is very expensive to manage our parks and our conservation areas and all that, and that is why there is an exercise to try to rationalize, review, and see the best value for money.”