The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) plans to double some of its National Park entrance fees come February, 2013. The Service intends to hike its entrance fee for students and children to KES 100 from the current KES 50. The rise in fees will affect both the Nairobi National Park Safari Walk and the Impala Sanctuary in Kisumu.

The Safari Walk has confirmed that its price hike will take effect later next month. Meanwhile, the Impala Sanctuary is yet to confirm its new fees.

In 2012, more than 400,000 tourists (both foreign and domestic) visited the Safari Walk, making it one of the most popular attractions in the country. The KWS has since seen fit to capitalise on its success.

While some may say that it is a small price to pay to see some of the wondrous things this country has to offer, the fact remains that this is a 100% jump in expenses. There have been several cases of consumer complaints when something as small as a mandazi sells for twice its original value. Some people have even switched mobile phone service providers to save a single shilling every minute.

So while the move might not seem crippling to some of the more “elite” members of society, bear in mind that almost half of the country’s population lives on less than minimum wage. Visiting a National Park may actually be a luxury that most people can barely afford.

The Wildlife Service may decide to hike its fees for adults but has yet to release an official statement. However, Pesatalk sources from the KWS Communications Department say that the only hike that will take effect any time soon is the aforementioned entrance fee.

Below are the current entrance fees for the Nairobi Safari Walk:

Below are the current entrance fees for the Kisumu Impala Sanctuary: