Kenyans looking to access services at any of the three parks within Nairobi city were advised to make payments via the newly enhanced portal.
Kenyans visiting national parks who have been encountering challenges in paying for park services could breathe a sigh of relief as the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) announced that it is piloting the upgraded eCitizen payment system.
KWS on Tuesday, February 4 revealed that the piloting phase began in three major parks including the Nairobi National Park, Nairobi Safari Walk, and Nairobi Animal Orphanage.
Kenyans looking to access services at any of the three parks within Nairobi city were advised to make payments via the newly enhanced portal.
“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 in part.
A collage of tourist vehicles stranded at the entrance of Nairobi National Park on January 3, 2024. /ASMALI
KWS however revealed that during the pilot phase, all tickets issued through this platform will be honoured at the three pilot facilities mentioned above.
Furthermore, once an individual pays the required entry fee, he or she will receive a Short Message Service (SMS) notification as confirmation of successful transactions.
The Wildlife Service stated that the upgraded eCitizen payment system was redesigned to boost efficiency, shorten processing time, and enhance the overall customer experience.
“KWS onboarded the eCitizen revenue collection system on 22nd August 2023. All our services have since been onboarded and greatly improved revenue collection and management,” added KWS.
“The upgraded eCitizen payment system being piloted aims to further enhance efficiency, reduce cycle time and improve overall customer experience. We will soon update the public on the rollout of the upgrade once we complete the ongoing pilot phase.”
Kenyans experiencing challenges in accessing the new eCitizen portal were urged to seek support from KWS officers through its official email address [email protected] or official WhatsApp number 0726 610509.
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.Â
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.
This is not the first time eCitizen has had issues, especially in the tourism sector. On October 10, 2024, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano took it upon herself to address the challenges faced by Kenyans in accessing eCitizen services, especially while paying to access national parks and game reserves across the country.
Miano was responding to woes that hit German Ambassador to Kenya Sebastian Groth on the eCitizen issue after he lamented being stranded at the entrance of the Watamu Marine National Park in Kilifi County.
A photo of the eCitizen platform relaunch at KICC on June 30, 2023. /PCS