This is the amount it will cost you to own and operate a drone in Kenya

For long, ownership and operations of drones in Kenya had attracted controversy due to lack of outlined policy in ownership and operation of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
You will now have to register and obtain the necessary licenses whenever you import a drone in the country. The approvals are a requirement before one can go ahead and use a drone in Kenya either for commercial purposes or personal use.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has been given a go-ahead to execute the Civil Aviation (Regulatory Fees and Charges for Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Regulations, 2020. It will now cost you ksh.3,000 to register and obtain a license before you can operate your drone.
The presence and usage of these flying devices has been on the rising trend. Film makers and content creators use drones to take videos and photos and nowadays they are commonly spotted at events.
The fees charged on drones operations in Kenya have been implemented after approval of the Civil Aviation (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Regulations, 2019 Act last year.
With this approval, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has been given a go-ahead to execute the Civil Aviation (Regulatory Fees and Charges for Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Regulations, 2020.
In its implementation, the civil aviation has gone ahead and outlined fees and charges on ownership and operation of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

Charges on drone operations in Kenya

Apart from the Ksh.3000 license fee for the operation license  of drones in Kenya, below are some of the charges various institutions will have to part with in ownership and operation of drones;

Drone importation and registration charges

1. Issuance of import permit: $30 or approximately KES 3,000
2. Registration: $30 or approximately KES 3,000. The comparative charge for registration under the existing regulation in KES 6,000.
3. Certificate for registration, deregistration, or cancellation: $20 or approximately KES 2,000. The current cost is KES 10,000.
4. Copy of the drone register: KES 3,000. The fee has not been drafted for an adjustment.
5. Amendment of the certificate of registration: $40 or approximately KES 4,000
6. Issuance of a temporary permit: $100 or KES 10,000
7. Change of ownership: $25 or KES 2,500

Remote Air Operator Certificate (ROC)

1. Initial issue: $1000 or about KES 100,000
2. Renewal of ROC: $500 or about KES 50,000 that is 80% of the initial charge
3. Inclusion of the new drone Type: $200 or  approximately KES 20,0000
4. Approval of manuals: $50 or approximately KES 5,000
5. Additional of a drone to the ROC: $50 or approximately KES 5,000

Training Organization 

1. Training organization approval: $1000 or approximately KES 100,000
2. Renewal of ATOs certificate: KES 80,000
3. Modification/amendment approval: $500 or approximately KES 50,000

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With these regulations in place, it will be illegal to own and operate a drone in the Kenyan airspace without the necessary approvals.