Kenyans visiting national parks can now expect a smoother payment experience as the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rolls out a pilot phase for its upgraded eCitizen payment system.
In a statement on Tuesday, February 4, KWS announced that the trial phase is currently underway at three major facilities: Nairobi National Park, Nairobi Safari Walk, and Nairobi Animal Orphanage.
Visitors to these parks have been advised to make payments via the newly enhanced platform to streamline transactions.
“We are pleased to inform the public that the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is piloting an upgraded eCitizen Payment System via the following link: https://kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke/ at Nairobi National Park, Nairobi Safari Walk, and Nairobi Animal Orphanage,” KWS stated.
During the pilot phase, all tickets issued through the upgraded system will be honored at the three selected facilities. Visitors will receive a confirmation of successful transactions via SMS upon payment.
KWS noted that the improved system was redesigned to enhance efficiency, reduce transaction time, and improve customer experience.
“KWS onboarded the eCitizen revenue collection system on August 22, 2023. All our services have since been integrated into the platform, greatly improving revenue collection and management,” KWS added.
“The upgraded eCitizen payment system being piloted aims to further enhance efficiency, reduce cycle time, and improve overall customer experience. We will provide updates on the full rollout once the pilot phase is completed.”
Previous eCitizen Challenges
KWS has urged Kenyans facing difficulties accessing the new eCitizen platform to seek assistance through its official email ([email protected]) or WhatsApp number (0726 610509).
The upgrade comes after previous disruptions in the eCitizen system, which left many Kenyans, including tourists, stranded when trying to access national parks. Earlier this year, a malfunction in the platform led to long queues at park entrances, with visitors forced to wait for hours as transactions failed to process. Many took to social media to express their frustrations.
Following a government directive requiring all payments for public services, including park entry fees, to be made through eCitizen, the system failure significantly affected operations. Tourists visiting Nairobi National Park were among those impacted by the delays.
This is not the first time eCitizen has faced technical issues in the tourism sector. On October 10, 2024, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano addressed similar concerns after German Ambassador to Kenya, Sebastian Groth, reported being stranded at the entrance of Watamu Marine National Park in Kilifi County due to eCitizen payment challenges.
KWS now hopes the upgraded system will address these inefficiencies and improve service delivery for park visitors.
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