The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has begun a canine handling course at the Kenya Police Dog Unit Training Academy in Lang’ata to boost the war against wildlife crime in the country.

In a statement on Friday, May 23, 2025, KWS stated that the Canine Handling Course of 2025 was launched in partnership with the Kenya Police and the African Wildlife Foundation.

The programme will train 21 rangers – including seven women – who will undergo intensive training to form powerful human-canine teams skilled in the detection and tracking of wildlife contraband.

“The initiative builds on a decade of canine enforcement success, transforming from a humble start in 2015 to a sophisticated network of detection units at major entry points like JKIA and Kilindini Port,” KWS stated.

“These specially trained dogs are not just intercepting illegal wildlife products; they are safeguarding Kenya’s ecosystems by protecting species critical to environmental balance.”

This comes after KWS introduced two express entry lanes for prepaid ticket holders at Nairobi National Park, aiming to ease congestion at the main gate and improve visitor experience.

KWS made the announcement on May 18, 2025, following growing frustration from the public over long waiting times, especially during weekends and holidays.

 According to the agency, the express lanes are already showing positive results, with over 60 per cent of visitors using prepaid tickets on the morning of the launch.

“To further enhance convenience and reduce entry wait times, we have introduced two express lanes exclusively for prepaid ticket holders at Nairobi National Park,” KWS said in a statement.

The service described the move as a significant step toward streamlining entry and making park visits more enjoyable.

The new system comes in the wake of a viral video posted on X by Adrian Blomfield, an international journalist who criticised the entry process at the park as disorganised and unfair.

The shambolic introduction that most tourists have to Kenya. Even since the new system was introduced everyone trying to enter Nairobi National Park has to sit in a queue for hours. Instead of seeing our wildlife this is the first impression they have of our country. pic.twitter.com/N2F9N5ZVla

— Adrian Blomfield (@adrianblomfield) May 17, 2025

The footage showed scores of tourists waiting in long queues, with some reportedly stuck for hours while trying to access the park.

Blomfield claimed that certain individuals received preferential treatment from KWS staff, allowing them to bypass the queue while others waited.

“This is the shambolic system that continues to exist at the Nairobi National Park gate months after the new queuing system was introduced. People are still forced to wait in long queues; the management system is chaotic; people who are favoured by KWS staff are allowed to jump the queue; there is no rhyme or reason for it,” he said.