President William Ruto has approved the construction of high-end hotels inside Tsavo National Park and issued directives for park fees to be reviewed upwards for tourists in a bid to increase the revenue obtained from the conservation zones.
Speaking during the launch of the Tsavo West Rhino Sanctuary in Ngulia, Taita Taveta County, on Tuesday, Ruto defended the decision to call for higher park charges, saying that the plans will boost revenue for local communities as well as the government.
At the same time, in what might turn out to be a war with conservationist groups and defenders, the President okayed the construction of high-end premium hotels to provide accommodation to visiting tourists within the park.
To cement the efforts to build the hotels and modern accommodation features within the park, Ruto directed that tourists be charged a daily amount of between Ksh64,625 (USD500) to Ksh129,250 (USD1,000) at the current exchange rates.
At the same time, Ruto revealed that following a briefing with the Kenya Wildlife Service and other stakeholders, the government has reached a consensus that no hotels will be allowed to charge below Ksh3,000 for accommodation services within the park.
"All tourists will now pay top dollar, which will be at an additional rate from the current rates. I have been briefed by the KWS that there will be 5 new hotels that will be built within this park. Those will be high-end hotels that would mandate visitors to pay between USD 500 to USD 1000 per day. That is what will be paid and is also currently being paid in the Maasai Mara.''
"We have agreed in my directives to the KWS that there will be no hotels here to pay Ksh2000 or Ksh 3000. We want to top our revenue so that it can reach the local community."
KWS and the Ministry of Tourism are expected to implement the directives, ensuring the new hotels meet international standards.
Further, Ruto also directed KWS and the Tourism Ministry to develop an extensive plan on carbon trading within the Tsavo East and West national parks in a step aimed at creating additional income streams for locals.
The plan, he directed to include also the government-owned Galana Kulalu irrigation scheme, with the government keen on maximising its revenue streams from the new green gold.
"I also direct that the necessary team develop a carbon credits trading plan covering Tsavo East and West, Galana Kulalu to be made into a single zone so that we can have a harmonised zone to get carbon credits so that the locals can benefit," he said.
Meanwhile, the move is expected to align Tsavo’s offerings with other luxury destinations in Kenya, such as the Maasai Mara, with KWS tasked with overseeing construction and ensuring that environmental standards and conservation priorities are maintained.
The government also plans to use revenue from park fees and carbon trading to strengthen wildlife protection and develop infrastructure across the Tsavo ecosystem, including the construction of wildlife corridors and dams to support animals during droughts.
