Abolish KWS Gateway Fees Strike.
Kenya's tourism industry players have gone on strike due to the introduction of a "gateway fee" by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). The Tour Operators, Tour Guides and Hospitality Stakeholders opposes the new KWS park fee system, describing it as financially punitive, lacking public consultation, and unlawful. Key reasons for the strike and protests include: •Significant hikes in park entry fees: For example, Nairobi National Park entry for residents rose from KSh 430 to KSh 1,000, while foreign visitors' fees doubled from KSh 5,570 to KSh 10,360. Similar large increases were applied to premium parks such as Amboseli and Lake Nakuru. •Introduction of a hidden 5 percent "gateway fee" charged on top of park-entry fees and only disclosed at payment, which the federation argues has no legal backing. •Restrictive payment options: The new system accepts only Mpesa and Visa card payments, removing bank transfers, which complicates large transactions and group p...