The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is pushing for 10 percent of total tourism revenue to be allocated to local communities.
KWS Director-General Erustus Kanga said the 2024 income reflects an increase from about Sh352.5 billion collected in 2023.
“Most tourists visit the country to see our national heritage—wildlife. Out of the total Sh460 billion in tourism revenue, Sh345 billion was generated from tourists who came specifically to observe wildlife,” he said.
According to Dr Kanga, 75 percent of the revenue was from wildlife-related activities, the primary attraction for local and international tourists.
He spoke in Isara, Kajiado East sub-county on Monday during the issuance of Sh64 million cheques to compensate victims of human-wildlife conflict.
Wildlife PS Silvia Museiya, local leaders and dozens of residents attended the event.
Dr Kanga added that the KWS and the Tourism and Wildlife ministry are advocating a revenue-sharing model in which local communities would receive 10 percent of total tourism earnings to support conservation.
“This money will become the community’s ‘cow to milk’—funding bursaries, water pans, and fencing of wildlife migration corridors,” he said.
Conflict mitigation
Ms Museiya announced a month-long nationwide campaign ahead of the launch of the National Compensation Fund to be presided over by President William Ruto in Meru.
“The integrated campaign will educate communities on human-wildlife conflict mitigation and compensation procedures, including the rollout of a new digital claims system.
“It will also highlight opportunities in the wildlife economy, such as legal wildlife farming, beekeeping, and eco-tourism to reduce reliance on compensation payouts,” said the Wildlife PS.
Kajiado leaders urged the KWS to recognise unborn infants as separate victims in cases where wild animals kill expectant mothers.
