All children below the age of five years will have free entry to all parks countrywide from January 2024.
Previously, only children below the age of three years were allowed free access to parks across the country.
The Kenya Wildlife Service in a statement on Wednesday said the age had been adjusted from the current three to five in a move that seeks to promote conservation education.
Senior citizens above the age of aged 70 years and Kenyans Persons living with Disabilities, as defined by the Persons Living with Disability Act, will also be exempted from park fees.
KWS conducted nationwide public participation forums between January 30 and February 23 this year to get public input on the revision of conservation fees for national parks and reserves.
The service is mandated to undertake periodic, comprehensive reviews of its products and fees to ensure alignment and standardization with both local and international conservation and business landscapes as per the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013.
In recommendations from a public participation forum conducted by the Kenya Wildlife Service, it has also been proposed that a rebated fee for the rest of Africa be introduced.
“East African Community residents will benefit from lower rates as per the EAC agreement, while other nationalities within the EAC will be treated as non-residents,” KWS said.
“The Service is excited to introduce seasonal rates. The high season will span from July to March, with the low season running from April to June."
According to the service, the strategy aims to incentivise the public and attract more visitors during the less busy months.
“Moreover, we are exploring additional tourism experiences, such as night game drives, virtual and drone experiences, water sports activities, animal tracking, and loyalty programmes,” it noted.
KWS said insights provided by the public were considered and have been incorporated into the proposed conservation fees for January 2024 to December 2025.
