KWS Speaks After Foreign Journalist Complains Of 2KM Traffic Jam At Nairobi National Park
The footage, captured by an international journalist early in the morning of Saturday, May 17, showed a traffic jam at the park’s entrance, reportedly stretching for two kilometres
Marvin Chege 
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) quickly stepped in to defend Nairobi National Park after a video surfaced showing tourists stuck in long lines.
The footage, captured by an international journalist early in the morning of Saturday, May 17, showed a traffic jam at the park’s entrance, reportedly stretching for two kilometres, that left visitors waiting for hours just to get in.
The video also suggested that while tourists waited, park staff were letting friends and familiar faces bypass the queue, raising concerns about fairness and proper management.
Entrance to the Nairobi National Park. /KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE
''This is the shambolic system that continues to exist at the Nairobi National Park gate months after the new queueing system was introduced. People are still forced to wait in long queues, the management system is chaotic, people who are favoured by KWS staff are allowed to jump the queue, there is no rhyme or reason for it,'' the journalist revealed.
He went on to criticise the system, warning that although tourism plays a crucial role in the country’s economic development, the broken ticketing process is seriously holding the sector back.
“This is such a shame, tourists have been waiting for over an hour. Government officials cannot get this sorted out and give people a better first impression of this country,” he continued.
In response, KWS released a statement admitting to the issue and apologising for the inconvenience experienced by visitors.
“We sincerely apologise for the long queues experienced this morning at the Nairobi National Park Main Gate. Your time and experience mean everything to us, and we’re working to make every visit as smooth as possible,” KWS stated.
KWS encouraged tourists to use the eCitizen platform to prepay for park entry, allowing quicker access through the Express Park Access lane.
They also reminded the public that aside from the Main Gate, the park has additional fully functional entry points—East Gate (off Mombasa Road) and Mbagathi Gate (on Magadi Road, across from Multimedia University)—which can help reduce traffic and long waits.
“By planning and exploring all available options, you help us protect your time, your experience, and your park,” KWS added.
The queuing system at Nairobi National Park was introduced as part of an upgraded ticketing system launched by KWS on February 5, 2025. It was rolled out alongside enhancements to the eCitizen Payment System to boost revenue collection and make visitor entry more efficient.
Earlier this year, a malfunction hit the eCitizen platform, leaving scores of Kenyans relying on it stranded. They took to social media to share their frustrations following the unavailability of the critical system. Tourists including those visiting Nairobi National Park were left stranded after facing significant challenges due to the malfunction of the eCitizen platform.
Following the directive requiring all government services to be paid through the eCitizen platform, including park entry fees, the platform failed to process transactions. This left visitors forced to wait for hours at the main gate as the eCitizen platform crashed, with many taking to social media to complain about the delays.
The situation led to long queues of tourist vehicles and frustration among visitors who were unable to gain access to the park.
