- President William Ruto shared his plan to make Kenya a Visa-free country as of January 2024 during a National celebration.
- This is one of the government’s efforts to improve trade between Kenya and other countries.
All foreign visitors to Kenya will no longer require travel visas to access the country. President William Ruto announced the move on Tuesday, December 12, during the 60th Jamhuri Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi.
According to the new directive, Kenya will allow all global citizens visa-free access to the country without discrimination. In a previous statement, the President had hinted that only African Citizens would be allowed into the country without visas. However, the head of state seems to have changed his mind. The visa-free access to Kenya is to begin in January 2024.
Nevertheless, all foreigners would undergo electronic verification to be allowed into the country. According to the head of state, the government has already developed a digital system that will single out all travelers.
Before traveling, the foreigners will obtain electronic travel authorization to act as the new Visa.
A spot check by this writer reveals an existing online visa application website called evisa.go.ke. The platform allows visitors to apply online for the Republic of Kenya Evisa without visiting a Kenyan diplomatic mission or obtain the visa on arrival.
The eVisa is an authorization document issued in PDF format, allowing visitors to travel to a Kenyan entry point.
The President first alluded to the issue while addressing the Three Basins Climate Change Conference in Congo, Brazzaville, on October 28 this year. He had talked about the importance of promoting trade between African countries, with the abolishment of visas as one of the steps towards this achievement.
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On November 2, during the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda also announced the abolishment of Visas for all African citizens. This move, he said, would promote trade between Rwanda and other African countries and boost the country’s tourism sector.
Kenya will now follow suit after Gambia and Seychelles took the same measures. Tourism is a critical sector of the economy for these countries.
