Kenya Wildlife Service has rolled out a new digital payment system, KWSPay, aimed at making access to national parks faster and smoother while improving efficiency in revenue collection.

The newly launched platform, developed in partnership with the government’s e-Citizen portal, is tailored specifically to KWS operations and offers a simpler, faster, and more accessible service for park visitors.

Unlike the main e-Citizen system, KWSPay reduces the time it takes to purchase entry tickets from around 10 minutes to just two or three, allowing visitors to pay from anywhere.

“When you walk into Nairobi National Park right now, you realise that you don't need to log in to the eCitizen platform... we have developed the payment system, reducing the time required to login from 10 to 12 minutes to a period of about two to three minutes. You can be able to also pay for your ticket from the comfort of your home,” said Erastus Kanga, the KWS director general.

The platform is a major upgrade to how KWS handles its payments, park access, and ticketing. Users can pay through their phones without repeated logins, and the system is accessible even to those without smartphones.

It also supports individual and bulk payments, making it particularly useful for tour operators who can now make a single transaction for multiple destinations.

The platform includes an e-Wallet that simplifies managing frequent park visits.

“As a tour operator, you can be able to pay for your minivan, for back visitors who are coming in. Within one payment, you can plan for the visitors who are going to Nairobi National Park, Amboseli National Park, and Sabo National Park at the same time, and you get different tickets that are able to facilitate you,”  Kanga said.

Kanga also pointed to the positive impact of digital systems on KWS revenue collection. He said integration with the e-Citizen platform previously helped raise annual income from Sh3.4 billion to Sh5.6 billion, and in the most recent financial year, revenues reached Sh7.6 billion.

Besides the payment platform, KWS is also making infrastructural improvements at parks like Nairobi National Park to maintain and upgrade internal roads, improving the overall experience for visitors.