On Monday, 3rd November 2025, tour operators gathered outside the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) headquarters in Lang’ata to protest what they described as unfair and unexplained charges. Their purpose was to present their concerns directly to the Director General of KWS and to request the suspension of the newly introduced 8.5% Gateway Fee.
The Gateway Fee is an additional charge added to park entry payments made through the KWS online system, KWSPay. Tour operators say this fee is both illegal and unnecessary. According to them, the law only permits a one-dollar convenience fee, not a percentage-based charge. They also raised questions about where the 8.5% is going, noting that it appears to pass through a third-party company instead of being directly tied to KWS operations. The fee was introduced without consultation or public notice, and it affects every visitor, whether Kenyan, resident, or from outside the country.
One tour operator explained, “We are not refusing to pay for park entry. We have always complied. Our concern is being asked to pay administrative fees into a system that has not been explained to us, especially when the court had already paused the new charges.”
The protestors also said that KWS has ignored a High Court order that temporarily stopped the new pricing model on 1st October 2025. This was meant to allow time for proper involvement of the public and tourism stakeholders. However, the KWSPay platform has continued to collect the higher rates, including the additional 8.5%. Operators expressed that actions like these weaken trust in public institutions and harm Kenya’s tourism reputation.
The demonstration drew hundreds of participants, including large tour companies, small family-owned travel businesses and conservation groups. Many held signs expressing their concern for the future of tourism in Kenya. After hours of waiting, the Director General of KWS, Erastus Kanga, addressed the group and promised a meeting within four days. Protesters agreed to leave peacefully but said they would return later in the week if their request was not honored.
At a deeper level, this issue touches the families whose livelihoods depend on tourism. Many tour businesses are small and family-run. Increased fees mean higher prices for visitors, and that can lead to fewer bookings. Already, tour operators say their vans are going out with fewer tourists than before. Hotels, community conservancies, domestic airlines, and local guides are feeling the effects too.
This also impacts families across Kenya who love to visit national parks and reserves. Higher costs can make these natural treasures harder for ordinary Kenyan households to access, especially during school holidays when most family trips happen. Reduced visitation can result in less revenue for conservation, which is vital for protecting wildlife.
At its heart, this standoff is about transparency and fairness. Kenya’s wildlife is a source of national pride and part of our shared heritage. Many of the tour operators who protested see themselves as protectors of that heritage. They are simply asking that decisions affecting the industry be communicated openly, made lawfully, and shaped with the community in mind.
As the crowd dispersed that Monday afternoon, one question lingered: How can Kenya preserve its wildlife in a way that is sustainable, fair and accessible to the families who love and depend on it?
This is a conversation that will continue, not just in boardrooms, but in homes, schools and communities that hold our natural spaces close to heart.
