The tourism industry is sounding the alarm over new payment rules for national parks introduced by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). The Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF), the leading body for the private tourism sector, has voiced grave concerns, stating that the unannounced changes threaten the country’s reputation as a competitive safari destination.
KTF Chairman Fred Odek confirmed that the new system was rolled out without any consultation with key industry stakeholders, a move that is creating significant financial and operational chaos for tour operators, travel agents, and park visitors.
The federation highlighted three primary issues stemming from the new KWS payment platform:
1. Restricted payment options
KWS has withdrawn the bank transfer option, now accepting only M-PESA and Visa card payments. This has severely complicated the processing of large group payments and large-scale transactions that previously relied on bank transfers.
2. Exorbitant card fee
A new 8.5 percent processing fee has been slapped onto all card payments. The KTF deems this rate “unusually high” compared to other government platforms, adding a substantial, unbudgeted cost to tour packages.
3. Inflated exchange rate
KWS is applying a fixed exchange rate of Ksh. 135 per USD, which is significantly higher than the Central Bank of Kenya’s prevailing rate of approximately Ksh. 129.50. This discrepancy is artificially inflating park entry costs for international visitors.
“The rollout of the new KWS park payment system has created unnecessary financial strain and uncertainty for operators who had already priced and contracted tours under the previous arrangements,” Odek stated. “The additional fees and limited payment options translate to unbudgeted losses and threaten existing contracts with our international partners.”
The KTF is now calling on the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife and the KWS to urgently revert the changes to support flexible and efficient transactions. Their key demands include:
- Immediate reinstatement of the bank transfer payment option.
- A review and reduction of the 8.5 percent card processing fee to align with industry standards.
- Adjustment of the USD–Ksh. exchange rate to match the official Central Bank of Kenya rate.