I’ve been a drone pilot since 2014 when drones were called quadcopters and there were no laws governing the industry. I could fly wherever I wanted with no questions asked – with police even offering me protection from crowds as they too marvelled at this ‘flying camera’. Today, drone laws are in full effect in Kenya and one cannot fly wherever they want. Here is a breakdown of what it takes to be on the right side of the law as you drone in Kenya.

1. Become a Licensed Drone Pilot

For this, you’ll need to attend a drone training academy. There are several in Kenya. I got my training at Drone Space who are in Westlands, Nairobi. Training takes two weeks with one week of theory, and one week of practical training. As per the drone regulations, attending the training is compulsory even if you have experience flying drones.

2. Have a Registered Drone

All aircraft registered in Kenya have a 5Y registration. Your drone is no exception. You can register your drone on the KCAA website. If you need further help doing this, you can reach out to their responsive team on [email protected].

3. Insure your Drone

When flying your drone, you run the risk of having an accident that could damage property, your drone or cause injury to a person. That is why insurance is compulsory. Geminia Insurance have a drone cover package.

4. Obtain Drone Flight Permissions

This is quite technical. You’ll need to have details like where you’ll be taking off from, when, a risk assessment, and more before you get approved for each flight. Because I want to concentrate on getting the shots and not the legal technicalities, I work with Drone Space who have ROC Support. They follow up on all the approvals from KCAA and the security agencies while I focus my energies on getting the shots.