Kenya’s tourism watchdog has moved to block four companies from operating, escalating a nationwide campaign to stamp out rogue operators in the travel industry.

The Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA) announced that Kenmara Tour Operators, Thinkscenes Services Ltd, Twinkle Star Tours and Safaris, and Dosasha Tour and Safaris will no longer be allowed to run tours until they meet official standards.

A joint enforcement team has been dispatched to the country’s main parks and reserves, beginning with the Maasai Mara and later sweeping through Amboseli, Tsavo, and the Coast.

Speaking during an inspection drive in Amboseli National Park, TRA Director General Norbert Tallam said the clean-up was long overdue.

“This is a big stride forward. We are here to ensure that Kenya’s tourism sector is properly regulated. Rogue operators and unlicensed drivers must come forward and regularise their businesses, or they will not be allowed to operate,” Tallam stated.

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Tallam urged travellers to insist on dealing only with accredited operators, explaining that the exercise is intended to protect Kenya’s reputation while levelling the playing field for compliant businesses.

TRA Board Chairman Benjamin Washiali echoed the warning, insisting that the days of lax oversight were over

“Tourism is one of Kenya’s top foreign exchange earners, yet for too long it has suffered because of poor regulation. That is why we are leaving our boardrooms and going to the ground to act decisively," Washiali said.

Washiali noted that some firms targeted in the operation had already regularised their licences, an indication that the crackdown was already bearing fruit.

Tourism contributes billions of shillings to the economy and provides livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of Kenyans.

Yet persistent problems such as illegal operators, weak safety measures, and inconsistent service standards have repeatedly dented the country’s competitiveness.

Officials maintained that the drive is not meant to punish businesses but to ensure professionalism and sustainability in the sector.

As Tallam explained, “This is about fairness, compliance and sustainability.”

The TRA has promised to extend the campaign into other tourist circuits in the coming weeks, signalling tougher days ahead for firms unwilling to meet regulatory requirements.