In 2019, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) banned flying of drones in Kenya. In a public notice, the state threatened that anyone caught flouting the ban will either be jailed for up to a year or fined Ksh100,000. But sometime later the ban was lifted, but under very stringent directives that drone owners were to adhere to.
Drones now have to be registered with the Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and a certificate will be issued, because the laws of the land provide that drones should be identifiable. This among other requirements forced Kenyans to shelve the idea of owning a drone. After consulting widely, KCAA on Thursday 7th announced new draft charges for drones which will affect current Civil Aviation (Regulatory Fees and Charges for Air Navigation Services) regulations.
In the Civil Aviation (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Regulations, 2020 various regulations have been proposed, which will see various businesses, in the film industry and research benefit largely from the reduced charges and the frustration that the government had subjected them put to rest
If the propositions are implemented, it will cost Ksh3,000 to register a drone, a 50% slash from the Ksh6,000 and Ksh2,000 to get a certificate of registration from the current Ksh10,000. However, the costs for the initial issue of a Remote Air Operator Certificate (ROC)will be maintained at Ksh100,000 and Ksh 5000 to renew. The addition of a UAS (drone) under the certificate will cost Ksh5,000 while including a new UAS type will cost Ksh20,000.
Under the new regulations, it will the drones have been classified under different categories based on their level of risks, each with specific rules and regulations laid out to guide their operations.