DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE ON TOURISM AND WILDLIFE SCRUTINIZES 2026/2027 BUDGET POLICY STATEMENT

DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE ON TOURISM AND WILDLIFE SCRUTINIZES 2026/2027 BUDGET POLICY STATEMENT 

Bunge Tower, Parliament Buildings. 
Thursday 19th February, 2026.

The Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife, chaired by Hon. Kareke Mbiuki, today held deliberations with the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife over the 2026/2027 Budget Policy Statement (BPS), raising concerns over funding gaps, stagnant growth targets, and the urgent need to modernize the tourism and wildlife sectors.
The Ministry delegation was led by Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, accompanied by Principal Secretary for Tourism John Ololtua, Principal Secretary for Wildlife Sylvia Museiya, and Director General of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Erastus Kanga, among other senior officials.
In her opening remarks, CS Miano outlined six flagship interventions anchored on the Magical Kenya brand refresh, growth of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism, county signature projects, digital transformation through AI-enabled marketing, and a plan to grow wildlife revenues to Ksh 13 billion.
Likuyani Constituency MP Hon. Innocent Mugabe raised concern over what he described as “stagnant international arrival targets.”
“Why are we maintaining international arrivals at 3.25 million for 2026/27 while at the same time seeking increased funding? The targets must reflect ambition,” he said.
He further questioned the duplication of mandates between the Tourism Promotion Directorate and the Kenya Tourism Board, urging the Ministry to streamline its functions for efficiency.
In response, CS Miano assured the Committee that the Ministry would review the overlapping roles.
“We take the Committee’s concerns seriously and will undertake a review to eliminate duplication if any and enhance institutional efficiency,” she stated.
The Ministry is grappling with a KSh 4.1 billion recurrent and KSh 1.3 billion development shortfall against a total projection of KSh 17.5 billion. To bridge the deficit, the Tourism Fund aims to increase levy collections from Ksh 6.9 billion to Ksh 10.04 billion.
Wildlife Sector Faces Ksh 7.4 Billion Shortfall
The State Department for Wildlife disclosed a resource requirement of Ksh 20.6 billion against a BPS allocation of Ksh 13.25 billion — a Ksh 7.4 billion deficit that threatens human-wildlife conflict mitigation, park road maintenance, and anti-poaching modernization.
Members also expressed concern over the welfare of KWS rangers, citing reports that some officers are housed in tents that become uninhabitable during the rainy season.
“It is unacceptable that officers safeguarding our national heritage live in such conditions,” Chairperson Mbiuki remarked, urging urgent intervention.
A proposal to leverage the National Housing Levy to rehabilitate and construct decent housing for 5,000 staff was discussed. Currently, only Ksh 150 million has been allocated for rehabilitation.
Dr. Kanga told the Committee that KWS had surpassed its revenue targets in the first half of the current financial year.
“We have exceeded our half-year revenue targets. Our collections are set to rise from Ksh 8.8 billion to Ksh 10 billion, with projections to reach Ksh 12 billion in the coming years,” he said.
Policy Shifts and Regional Equity
A major policy shift will see the human-wildlife conflict compensation budget transferred directly to KWS, creating a single payment center to streamline relief for affected communities.
The Northern Conservation Area is also set for reorganization to align administrative units with county boundaries in Mandera County, Garissa County, and Wajir County. However, Members issued warnings against the marginalization of these regions and called for the equitable distribution of resources.
The Chairperson further sought an update on the operationalization of Ronald Ngala Utalii College.
In response, CS Miano told the Committee:
“We will provide a comprehensive update on the operationalization of the College during our consultative meeting scheduled for the end of March.”
The Committee is expected to continue scrutinizing the BPS proposals before tabling its recommendations in the House.