Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has exempted select categories of Kenyans from paying park fees following an uproar over the government agency's plans to hike fees beginning January 2024.
The new fees, which are set to come into effect in January 2024, will see domestic and international tourists pay higher prices to visit national parks. For instance, the fees to visit Nairobi National Park are set to be tripled from Ksh430 to Ksh2,000.
In a statement released on Wednesday, August 9, KWS said that after conducting public participation, children below 5 years, senior citizens and persons living with disabilities will be exempted from paying the entry fees countrywide .
KWS noted that the age consideration limit for children will be adjusted from the current 3-17 years to 5-17 years, with the objective of enhancing conservation education.
KWS further revealed that East African Community residents will benefit from lower rates as the per the EAC agreement, while other nationalities outside the EAC but within Africa will be treated as non-residents.
EAC tourism frameworks require countries within the bloc to provide lower fee rates to residents to ensure they enjoy preferential rates compared to other categories of tourists.
KWS has also proposed the introduction of a rebated fee for the rest of Africa. This means that persons living within the continent but outside the EAC region would be refunded if they paid too much for tax, rent or a utility.
The new park rates have elicited debate with Kenyans questioning why the agency would increase the charges and at the same time, claim they are putting in place measures to promote domestic tourism.
While justifying the new charges, KWS noted the introduction of seasonal rates would attract more visitors to the parks during the off-peak season.
"Moreover, we are exploring additional tourism experiences such as night game drives, virtual and drone experiences, water sports activities, animal tracking and loyalty programmes," read the statement in part.
"Tourism revenue not only supports conservation, security and market research but also bolsters the education and livelihood of local communities. Additionally, it enhances the infrastructure, circuit roads and overall customer experience within our parks."
According to KWS, the park rates are based on two factors; the type of season and categories of tourists, who are divided into East African Community (EAC) citizens, tourists from the rest of Africa, and international visitors.
If approved, the new charges will take effect on January 2024 through to December 2025.
