NAIROBI, Kenya – The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has urged the public to back its proposal to review park conservation fees, warning that without increased revenue the country’s world-renowned wildlife sector risks collapse.
Speaking at the final public participation forum on the proposed Wildlife Conservation and Management (Access and Conservation Fees) Regulations, 2025, held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre on Friday, KWS Director General Erustus Kanga said the last fee review was conducted in 2007 — 18 years ago.
“Over that time, everything else has increased in price — fuel, food, equipment, patrol vehicles, human-wildlife conflict response, hotel accommodation, tour van hire and salaries. But our park fees have remained the same,” Kanga told stakeholders, adding that the service faces a Sh12 billion annual funding shortfall.
KWS’ annual revenue stands at Sh7.9 billion against conservation needs of Sh19.7 billion. Kanga warned that if the gap is not addressed, “the sector could potentially collapse.”
“We are sitting on a golden goose — our wildlife. But a golden goose must be fed regularly to keep laying. If we keep plucking its feathers — overusing it, underpricing it, neglecting its care — it will die. And when the goose dies, so do the golden eggs,” he said.
Independent Pricing Study
Ahead of the proposed review, KWS commissioned tourism and conservation experts to conduct an independent pricing study.
The findings, Kanga said, were clear: “Kenya offers world-class wildlife experiences at some of the lowest rates globally. We are undervaluing our wildlife treasure.”
The review, he said, would not entail “runaway fee hikes” but would be tiered, market-sensitive and phased.
Kenyan citizens and residents would continue to enjoy affordable rates, while new tourism experiences such as night game drives, ballooning, canoeing and hiking would be introduced to encourage visitors to “see more, stay longer and spend more.”
Community and Conservation Benefits
Kanga said increased revenue would support community wildlife conservancies, improve predator-proof bomas, erect protective fences, boost benefit-sharing schemes and enhance local livelihoods tied to conservation.
“Failing to review fees means parks will deteriorate, rangers will struggle, wildlife will vanish, communities will give up, and tourists will go elsewhere,” he cautioned.
Public Feedback and Next Steps
The Nairobi meeting was the 20th and final forum in a series held over the past 10 days across 19 counties.
Participants called for prudent use of funds, improved park infrastructure, enhanced visitor facilities, stronger measures to address human-wildlife conflict and innovative tourism products to attract more visitors.
Stakeholders also proposed flexible, park-specific pricing models, regular fee reviews to avoid steep increases after long intervals, greater transparency in fund utilisation, and expanded corporate social initiatives to bolster community-led conservation.
KWS said it will incorporate feedback from the forums and written submissions into a second draft of the regulations, which will undergo further stakeholder validation before being tabled in Parliament for approval.
KWS head of marketing and business development, Gladys Kosgei, said revenue shortfalls have persisted for years.
In 2022-23, KWS recorded Sh5.34 billion in revenue against a requirement of Sh15.76 billion; in 2023-24, revenue was Sh7.74 billion against a Sh17.54 billion requirement; and in 2024-25, revenue stood at Sh7.92 billion against a Sh19.79 billion requirement.
For 2025-26, the service projects revenue of Sh7.92 billion against a requirement of Sh21.88 billion — a Sh12.24 billion gap.
