There were mixed reactions among participants at a public participation in Chogoria,Tharaka Nithi county as residents aired their views on reviewing fees in national parks.
Residents who attended the public participation to give their views differed but the majority supported.
Mount Kenya National park Chogoria gate route, designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site is renowned for its diverse landscapes, including dense forests, valleys, waterfalls and unique rock formations.
The Kenya Wildlife Service is conducting public participation across the country as it aims at reviewing fees across the national parks in an effort to boost tourism and boost its revenue.
The Kenya Wildlife Service hasn’t reviewed the fees since 2007.
On Thursday in Chogoria town hall in Tharaka Nithi during a public participation, Chogoria Guides and Potters Association chairman Lawrence Gitonga said Kenya Wildlife Service should not hurry to increase the fees.
“We are not opposed to the increase of the fees if it will help improve parks. But it should not be this season as we have already booked clients from overseas who wish to tour various parks across the country. If the fee increases, we will make losses,” he said.
Gilbert Gitonga, a Tour Guide from Chogoria, welcomed the review as it will help residents improve the park and make it more appealing to tourists.
“We are happy there is a proposal not to charge children below 5 years,the elderly and people living with disability,” Gitonga said.
He said the reviewing of fees will help local communities near the national parks as most roads will be well maintained due to high revenue.
“Like in Chogoria, we don’t have any important amenities like toilets. They have promised with the new tariffs things will improve and the economy of Chogoria town will grow,” Gitonga said.
However, another guide Mwenda Njeru said they are opposed to an increase of fees because it will collapse the already dwindling fortunes of the tourism sector.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General, KWS, Prof. Erustus Kanga, the KWS Senior Assistant Director, Mountain Conservation Area Lucy Muita said it has been 18 years since they reviewed the fees.
She said there is a proposal to add fees in some parks as they are too big and their roads need to be maintained,fences made and some endangered species in big parks need more wardens to protect them.
Muita said White and Black Rhino, Bongo and other endangered species need extra wardens to protect them.
“The wardens need sophisticated weapons and vehicles to be able to tackle poachers. Those animals also need medication. Sometimes we translocate animals from one park to another,” she said.
Muita said the cost of living has increased and KWS also need to review their fees to stay afloat.
“There are also the effects of climate change. When there is drought, we need to get water for the wild animals hence conservation becomes more expensive,” Muita said.
She said there is a proposal to scrap park fees for children under 5 years and elderly people and people living with disability in order to encourage people to boost local tourism.
On Human Wildlife conflicts, Muita said the wardens need to respond quickly to help residents get compensation hence an increase of park fees will help.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is conducting a nationwide public participation exercise to sensitize and gather feedback from stakeholders on proposed adjustments to park entry and conservation fees.
An impact assessment conducted prior to drafting the new regulations informed the proposed pricing model.
Under the new framework, park revenues are projected to grow from Sh 7.92 billion in 2024 to Sh16.58 billion by 2028—driven by realistic trends in visitation and spending behaviour.
Importantly, the proposed changes maintain Kenya’s status as an accessible, competitive, and world class conservation destination.
The exercise kicked off on Tuesday with forums in Marsabit, Hola, and Homabay with three more being held in Meru, Kisumu, and Lamu on Wednesday.
The proposed comprehensive review of conservation fees for entry into national parks.
Reserves, marine parks, and sanctuaries are underpinned by the draft Wildlife Conservation and Management (Access and Conservation Fees) Regulations, 2025.
At the heart of this effort is the need to close a critical Sh12 billion annual funding gap.
This shortfall – caused by inflationary pressures and rising operational demands has significantly constrained the Service’s capacity to fulfill its conservation mandate.
In the 2024/2025 financial year, KWS generated Sh7.92 billion against a requirement of Sh19.79 billion, limiting its ability to protect wildlife, restore degraded ecosystems,and respond to challenges such as human-wildlife conflict and poaching.
If approved, this will be the first comprehensive review of conservation fees in 18 years—a long-overdue move that reflects current conservation realities and the urgent need for sustainable financing.
