Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has explained why entry fees for Maasai Mara Game Reserve was hiked.

Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Appointments led by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula on Saturday, July 3, 2024, Miano said that she had met Ministry of Tourism officials and Narok County Government, which briefed her on the reasons behind the hike in entry fees, prior to her vetting.

Miano explained that she had been briefed about a Tourism Strategy 2021/2025 that was formulated with the participation of all stakeholders.

Some of the strategy’s findings, Miano said, is that there were things that needed to be done to make Maasai Mara more competitive, and one of the proposals was on the rates of Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

Miano said the rates had not been increased for the last 15 years, despite the cost of managing the parks.

“As I was preparing to appear before this Committee, I did meet with ministry officials, the sector and had a discussion with Narok County, and I want to share with you the information that I gathered. That there was a strategy, Tourism Strategy 2021/2025, that was formulated with the participation of all stakeholders.

“Some of the findings in that strategy is that there are things that needed to be done to make Maasai Mara more competitive, and one of the proposals that I will discuss is that the rates for Maasai Mara had not been increased for the last 15 years despite the cost of managing the parks and many other costs,” Miano stated.

She further pointed out that the stakeholders had proposed reviewing the rates, to help generate more finances.

“The Stakeholders in that strategic meeting did recommend a review of the rates that are applicable so that there are enough finances to develop Maasai Mara, maintain it and modernise it,” she said.

Miano noted that the revised rates were to be implemented from January 2024.

The new rates for Masai Mara National Reserve were implemented through Narok County.

In July 2024, there were concerns that most tourists had opted for Serengeti in Tanzania to watch the wildebeest migration, due to the lower rates charged by the park.

However, Miano dismissed the concerns during her vetting and argued that Maasai Mara has been booked to up to 90 per cent, as at the start of the season.