Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has assured a smooth rollout of Kenya’s new conservation fees starting October 1, 2025, with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) confirming that all bookings made before the announcement will be honored.
The updated regulations, the first in 18 years, aim to boost financial sustainability, enhance visitor experience, and protect Kenya’s wildlife heritage.
“The Ministry reaffirms its commitment to ensuring a smooth and seamless implementation of the newly approved conservation fees,” she said on Monday, September 29, 2025.
The changes are anchored in the Wildlife Conservation and Management (Access, Entry and Conservation) (Fees) Regulations 2025 (Legal Notice No. 160 of 2025), which Parliament approved and acceded to on Thursday, September 25, 2025.
Alongside the CS’s remarks, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) moved to reassure visitors and tour operators who had already booked trips ahead of the announcement.
“KWS will honor all eCitizen payments made before this announcement, and the revised fees will therefore apply only to new bookings made for 1st October onwards,” the Director General of KWS, Erustus Kanga, confirmed.
This safeguard ensures that travelers who had planned their trips under the old rates will not be affected, minimizing potential disruption to both domestic and international tourism.
The government noted that this is the first wide-ranging update of conservation fees in nearly two decades.
“The last comprehensive review of conservation fees was carried out 18 years ago, despite a significant increase in the cost of parks and reserves management, and the expansion of Kenya’s tourism and wildlife conservation,” the statement explained.
According to the Ministry, the new regulations are the result of a year-long open, consultative, and participatory process involving conservationists, tourism operators, local communities, and the public.
This broad-based approach, officials said, ensures that the new fees reflect not only conservation needs but also the expectations of the tourism industry and citizens who rely on wildlife resources for livelihoods.
“The reviewed regulations are intended to strengthen the financial sustainability of wildlife conservation, enhance visitor experiences, and ensure that Kenya’s parks and reserves remain globally competitive while safeguarding the country’s unique wildlife heritage,” the Ministry emphasized.
The implementation of the new fees reflects the delicate balance between promoting tourism and ensuring that conservation efforts are adequately resourced.
Kenya remains a global leader in wildlife tourism, attracting millions of visitors annually to iconic destinations such as the Maasai Mara, Amboseli, and Tsavo. With the new conservation fees, the government hopes to secure these ecosystems for generations to come.