Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has attributed its recent increase in park entry fees to chronic underfunding by the State, warning that a lack of a sustainable financial model risks undermining its conservation efforts. 

The agency is now targeting Ksh12 billion annually, with Ksh7 billion earmarked for salaries and operational costs, Ksh3 billion for compensation related to human-wildlife conflict, and Ksh2 billion for development initiatives. 

In the last financial year, KWS only raised Ksh7.92 billion—well below its Ksh19.7 billion target.  

This shortfall forced the suspension of key development projects meant to enhance tourist experiences and boost both domestic and international visits. 

According to KWS Director General Erastus Kanga, the funding gap is jeopardising the sustainability of Kenya’s vast conservation estate, which includes 24 terrestrial national parks, 27 national reserves, four marine parks, six marine reserves, eight sanctuaries, 154 stations, and 218 community conservancies. 

Kanga, who spoke during a media roundtable, noted that nearly 90 per cent of KWS’s revenue is derived from conservation fees, which make up 80 per cent of its budget.

Alarmingly, only 28 per cent of this budget is directed toward conservation activities.

Most of the revenue comes from five parks—Amboseli, Nakuru, Nairobi, Tsavo West, and Tsavo East—highlighting the imbalance in the distribution of tourism across Kenya’s protected areas. 

“This is not just a fiscal imbalance, it is a strategic vulnerability,” Kanga said, adding: “Without a realistic and sustainable conservation fee structure, critical functions would be severely compromised.” 

He emphasised that the last comprehensive fee review took place 18 years ago.

Since then, inflation, increased operational costs, climate change, habitat degradation, and rising human-wildlife conflicts have pushed the service to the brink.

While Kenya’s park fees remain lower than those of regional competitors, KWS is hoping to close the gap by offering more value and richer visitor experiences. 

The new pricing structure includes incentives such as free entry for children under five and senior citizens over 70.

Additionally, an “African rate” has been introduced to encourage intra-continental travel. 

KWS is also banking on tourism product diversification to compete with rival destinations.

Plans are underway to introduce conference tourism, night game drives, ranger lectures, fishing, ballooning, and immersive translocation experiences—all of which require higher revenue inflows to implement. 

According to internal research, most local visitors fall between the ages of seven and 30, while 60 per cent of foreign visitors are aged between 24 and 50.

“Last year alone, 2.4 million young Kenyans visited our parks,” said Kanga.

“If we don’t invest in this agency today, we are compromising future generations’ access to our natural heritage.” 

In a parallel initiative, KWS and the Ministry of Health plan to establish a Ksh1.8 billion antivenom plant within three years.

This project aims to reduce dependency on imported antivenoms from India and South Africa, many of which have proven ineffective.

Snakebites remain a serious public health concern, especially in northern Kenya. 

“A single drop of venom can be life-threatening—and very expensive to treat. We must build local capacity and empower communities,” the DG stressed. 

The new antivenom plant will be developed in conjunction with the Kenya Institute of Primate Research (KIPRE) and in collaboration with the Kenya Snakebite Research and Intervention Centre (KSRIC), backed by a technology-transfer partnership with Costa Rica—an industry leader in antivenom production. 

A state-of-the-art facility in Naivasha will serve as both a research hub and production site, with training programs to prepare local researchers and technicians.