The controversy surrounding the new Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) park fee payment platform highlights a crucial failure in the governance of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
While digitization is a global trend for efficiency, the non-consultative rollout of the new payment system has turned a potential enabler into an obstacle for Kenya’s tourism sector.
The Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) correctly frames the system not merely as a technical update, but as a critical piece of DPI. It is a digital layer that facilitates essential public transactions (park entry payments) across an entire economic ecosystem.
An effective DPI must be characterized by inclusivity, fairness, and transparency. The KWS system, however, has demonstrated the opposite as shown below:
| DPI Principle Violated | KWS System Failure | Impact |
| Inclusivity | The removal of the bank transfer option. | Excludes large tour operators and international partners who rely on standard banking channels for major transactions. |
| Fairness | Imposition of an 8.5% card processing fee and use of an inflated Ksh. 135/USD exchange rate. | Arbitrarily increases the cost of a public service, leading to unbudgeted financial strain on the private sector. |
| Stability | The unilateral rollout without notice. | Creates uncertainty and damages trust, risking Kenya’s reputation as a reliable destination for foreign partners. |
The KTF’s warnings about exposed financial losses and broken contracts are direct consequences of a DPI that was designed in a vacuum, ignoring the operational realities of its main users.
The core issue is that a robust DPI requires comprehensive stakeholder consultation to succeed. When a system dictates the mechanics of commerce for an entire industry, involving frontline players like the KTF is not optional, it is a governance requirement.
In essence:
- Tour operators sign contracts and price packages years in advance. Sudden, unconsulted changes to fees, exchange rates, and payment methods expose these businesses to massive financial litigation risks and unbudgeted losses. This directly harming employment and the national economy.
- Stakeholder input guarantees the DPI is efficient and fit for purpose. Consultation would have immediately highlighted the essential need for the bank transfer option for large-group bookings. This prevents the current operational gridlock.
In essence, while moving to digital payments is a necessary modern step, the failure to engage stakeholders has resulted in a brittle, expensive, and exclusionary piece of DPI. The KTF’s protest serves as a vital reminder that technology must be governed inclusively to truly serve the public interest.