The government is reviewing Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) park entry charges following a public outcry from tourism stakeholders and conservation partners.
In an interview on Sunday, November 9, Wildlife Principal Secretary Silvia Museiya acknowledged the backlash over the new park fees implemented alongside changes in the payment system.
She noted that while rising operational costs necessitated the review of charges, the government is now re-evaluating the matter to reach a fair resolution.
"We have said that change is the only constant thing in life. Cost of doing business, cost of production and cost of conservation is not getting any cheaper. We did agree on the new park entry fee and the increase therein. We have a change from the eCitizen to the KWS e-pay and that caused a lot of uproar in the tourism sector and that is a matter under discussion.
"On the charges, we have heard the cry from the stakeholders and the sector players and we are reviewing to find an amicable solution," she said.
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This comes a week after KWS announced the introduction of a new payment platform dubbed KWSPay after transitioning from the old eCitizen system.
In a statement on Saturday, November 1, the agency said the move aims to simplify how visitors and stakeholders make payments for park entry, conservation fees, and other KWS-related services.
"Kenya Wildlife Service acknowledges concerns raised by the tourism stakeholders and the public following the transition to a new and upgraded payment system.
"The transition from the old eCitizen platform to the upgraded new eCitizen payment system, branded as ‘KWSPay’, introduces a more seamless, enhanced, and flexible process for booking and making payments for Conservation Fees and other KWS services," the statement read.
KWS noted that the rollout of the system officially takes effect on November 1, 2025, from 6:00 p.m., and will offer multiple channels for making payments.
"The new upgraded system includes multiple payment options, including Mpesa, Bank Cards, Bank transfers, and an eWallet option, all of which will be available from November 1, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., with the detailed user instructions provided on the KWS website and eCitizen portal," the statement added.
KWS further stated that all transactions will reflect exchange rate adjustments pegged to the official rates set by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
"All transactions will apply a monthly dollar ($) exchange rate in line with Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) rates, in addition to facilitation charges to cushion the service provider against inflation, currency fluctuations, and interbank charges. The dollar ($) exchange rate will be reviewed and communicated monthly on the KWS website and KWSPay portal," the statement further read.
In addition, KWS confirmed that each transaction will attract a nominal administrative fee as specified in a prior government publication.
"A nominal administrative fee per transaction will apply as outlined in the Gazette Notice No. 17422 dated December 22, 2023,” the statement said.
To sustain the system’s operations and ensure consistent service delivery, an additional gateway fee has been introduced.
This charge, approved by the Central Bank of Kenya, is intended to support maintenance and operational expenses associated with the platform’s management and security.
"An additional 5% gateway fee will be charged per transaction in line with the Central Bank of Kenya approval to support system maintenance and operation costs. All payments through bank cards attract additional charges depending on the card service provider, which range up to 3.5%," the statement added.
